The Replacement
by Little-Firestar84
Summary: 4 Major Crimes Detectives: Goren, Eames,Logan and Antoinette Madison, Megan Wheeler's temporary replacement, and their everiday lifes: friendship, love, work, fun, family, and problems...BA,LoganOc FINAL CHAPTER IS UP!...as always, please R&R!
1. Meetings

Disclaimer: don't own anything. Yet (well, a girl can dream, right?). By the way, this story is out of continuity; its perfect place is somewhere between the end of the 6th season and the beginning of the 7th one (Logan needs a new partner while his one is in Europe, but here, Alex never gets kidnapped…) The first two chapters are something like 1700 and 1900 words long, but the other ones will be less long. So, good reading, and enjoy and review it!

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------------------------------MEETINGS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is there any way to convince you to change your mind?" a brown haired woman asked to Mac Taylor, chief of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit, while they entered in the Major case unit. "So, it seems it's done, eh?"

"It's only for 3 months, Toni."

"3 months. At least."

"For a maximum of 6. It's not too long."

"I didn't leave my place as director at interim of the crime scene investigation unit in L.A. to come to NY to work _here_, you know. I come to NY to work in one of the best lab in the country, _your lab_, and work with _you_, who _were_ my friend. But what did you do? A captain needs a new detective and you tell him, ehy, I've the right person for you, the one you need now, and you do it without ask me my opinion."

"I really don't understand your point."

"My point is, I'm a crime scene analyst. I analyze crime scenes; I don't usually… get involved with… human beings who still breathe. I'm more a trace and fingerprints and fluids type, you know."

"Although you are a crime scene investigator, you are a detective, too, and have I really to remind you that you are a profiler, too, and that, in the last 5 years, you were part of the unit who solved the major serial crimes in LA? And not to forget that you, coming from a rich family, know how to deal with reach people, and that this unit most of its time has to deal with people from your… uhm… class. You are the perfect person for this place, believe me. You are exactly what Captain Ross needs now."

"Yes, but nobody here is thinking about what _I_ need now?"

"I can't believe we are debating about this. What's the problem with you?"

"The problem is… - she went in front of her "boss" and, gesturing and with a desperate look, she lowered her voice – the fact is that I'm not good when I've to… deal with people. I'm not able to… how can I say this… can't relate to other human beings. You know from what sort of dysfunctional family I came from. Damn, you were in the army with my older brother! "

"So this is the reason you are still single. You are not able to relate to men because of your dad was a Don Juan who didn't care about his children."

"He IS a Don Juan who DOESN'T care about his 7 children and his 3 ex wives. Use the present, not the past. The fact that he is 64 doesn't mean he suddenly decided to change his habits."

"7? Weren't you in 6?"

"Remember Christine, his last wife? 38 years old, my former best friend, married him 5 years ago, a 3 years old child called Lillian?"

"I thought she left your dad two months ago, at least."

"More or less, yes, but guess what? She is 3 months pregnant."

"Toni, I'm not going to change my mind about this work just because you have a dysfunctional family. Don't try to impress me, ok? And now, focus and stay cool, it's time to speak with Captain Ross."

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Meanwhile, the detectives from the Major Case squad were reading files from the older cases, cases not yet closed.

"Have you seen your new partner yet?" Alex Eames asked with nonchalance at the men sat at the desk in front of her one. Mike Logan was going to meet his new partner, after his former one took a brief "vacation" to teach American police procedures in Europe. He wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea to meet his new colleague… god only knew what sort of person could be. He only hoped it wasn't rookie…

"Nah, not yet. I don't know for sure if he is here yet. I heard he had to speak with Ross and his former boss, first."

"You know for sure it's a man?!" Goren left the file he was reading to join his partner and Logan in the discussion.

"Well, I have to admit that I don't know for sure if it's going to be a man or a woman…" he answered crossing his arms.

"You know, it doesn't need a profiler to know you'd probably prefer a female exemplar. You've got printed it on your face."

"Partners can't have stories." he simply answered at her provocation with a grin on his face.

"True, but it's only a temporary replacement. It will last from 3 to 5 months. If it's a lady, I bet you'll find a way to enter in her graces."

"Don't bet, Goren, because you'll loose."

"Why? You changed your preferences?"

"It's not that, Eames. The fact is, I don't like cop. Really. I mean…I don't mean what you think I mean. I just mean that… that I don't date them. That's all. Too much problems."

"The great Logan, well known as ladies' men is scared of a woman with a gun?"

"Never date a cop. Too much problems if it doesn't work. It's my policy. So if you don't want to loose, don't bet. And besides, we don't know for sure if my partner will be a she or a he."

"Yet, but - Bobby simply added reading his file - I think the answer to our dilemma just walked in Ross' office."

"What?"

"You two were so taken from the conversation you didn't noticed the chief of the crime scene investigation unit came in our boss' office…"

"Mac Taylor is here? He is the boss of my new partner? Great, a CSI is really what I need…"

"And he was with a woman. You know, I've the impression I've already met her, but I can't remember when or where it was."

"We work together from 7 years, and I think it's the first time it happened."

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Daniel Ross exited from his office with Mac Taylor and the woman who went inside with them same minutes before. Ross and Taylor were smiling and making jokes about some friends they had in common, while the woman was behind them and didn't look too happy. She looked more frustrated than happy or excited.

"Mac, tanks again. I promise I'll give you your detective back as soon as possible."

"That's not necessary. Antoinette is more than happy to help you, and me too. Listen, I must come back to my lab, but everything you need… you know where to find me."

"Tell Peyton to call my fiancée, one day or an other, she wants to go out with the two of you again. She really had a good time the last time."

"Peyton told me the same but every time we try to make plans, something happens. I really must go, now. See you soon, the both of you."

"It was nice to see you again, Mac. See you soon. Detective Madison… Please, follow me I'll show you your desk. - Antoinette looked with an evil looks at Mac, who was disappearing in the elevator, thinking to herself something like "_Sure I'm happy about this, as it's true I asked for this work.", _and, swearing revenge against Taylor, she followed her new boss – here we are – he told showing her an empty desk – detective Goren, Eames, Logan… she is Detective Antoinette Madison. Mac Taylor was so nice to lend her to our division for the next 3 months… these are Robert Goren, Alexandra Eames and your new partner, Mike Logan. So, now let's go back to work, all of you. And welcome to our unit, detective."

"You wrote an essay about forms of cultural, psychological and physiological vampirism. Nice and interesting work. It was 3 years ago, right? I red the essay, these is the reason it seems to me I already saw you somewhere. I saw your photo on the book. It doesn't make you the right honor, let me say, Mrs. Madison"

"Oh, thank you. I don't know what to say…"

"About the fact that the photo doesn't made you honor?" he said with a gorgeous smile, a soft voice and sweet words.

"Honestly, I'm more stunned by the fact someone bought it. Just other 3 persons spoke with me about it and each of them had a copy that I gave them for Christmas."

"Wait a second; I believe you are not talking about the bats, when you tell vampirism?"

"The cultural movement of the vampirism is vaster that you can believe, Logan. It's a philosophical movement, sort of. And don't forget the few cases in which there are involved people who really believe to be vampires. 4 years ago, in Vegas, a boy murdered few girls, beat them on the neck and drank their blood, just because he believed to be a vampire."

"and me, I believe he was simply mad, Bobby." Alex added.

"Sure he was mentally ill, but physically… his canines weren't like our ones, they were like the ones owned by vampires."

"Bobby, you can't make me believe he was really a vampire."

"It's not what he is telling you. He just means the boy was so influenced by his physical appearance that he transformed it into his mental illness. Sort of."

"See, Alex? This is the reason I was so scared about have a new partner. She is a younger, nicer and feminine version of Goren. They are already best friends."

"Best friends? I don't believe, Logan. You know, I think he'll loose." While telling these to Logan, on Alex's face appear a sad look.

"What?"

"We bet you would find a way into her graces, you remember? But I think we'll loose, because the only one who has a chance to enter in them, is him. Didn't you see how he flirted with her, how he already looks at her…how he speaks with her?"

Seeing Alex getting sadder and sadder, Mike Logan tried to reassure her, understanding what's going on. Something everybody already knew about but them.

"He flirts with every feminine exemplar of the human race."

"I don't think so, Logan, I don't think so."

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	2. A Bad Day And A Worse Date

Disclaimer: The same as the other time. I just want to say tahnks to FrostDeejn and rindy713, who send me two great reviews hat i appreciated a lot. thanks! so, be ready for chapter 2, R&R and just wait, because the story will be loong and you don't kow what could happen!

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--------------------------BAD DAY AND WORSE DATE-------------------------

"It doesn't look like Madison is having a good time…" it was Friday night, and Logan (who just spoke), Eames and Goren were sitting at their usual bar – Sullivan's – as every Friday, waiting the weekend to begin, drinking their usual and making gossip about the colleague who was working with them from some weeks, Antoinette "Toni" Madison, who, in that moment, wasn't with them. She was 3 or 4 tables distant, and was trying to speak with a man in his thirties, dark eyes and hair. But it didn't look like she was having fun… she was trying to have a decent conversation with him, while he was clearly looking at an other girl in the room, a brunette, and didn't seem to notice the fact that the girl in front of him was nice and sexy, too.

"Do you think we have to do something to… to help her? I mean, look at the jerk. He isn't even noticing how nice she made herself for him! I can't stay here and look at her, see how crazy he can drive her!"

"Eames…"

"Logan, she is your partner, do something. You owe us that."

"Sorry?"

"I believe she is saying you tend to have the same behavior he is having with Toni, when you go out on a date with a certain type of women."

"The first day was detective Madison, than it was Antoinette… and now, after few weeks, you already call her just Toni!?"

"Look at her, Logan. Look at her body language – Bobby said trying to change topic, hoping his co-workers didn't notice it too much – she wants to getaway, too. Now one of us leaves the bar, and, once outside, calls her on her cellular. So she will able to leave giving him an excuse like, I don't know, she can tell him she is having a work emergency, or something like that. And then, who is outside, drives her home, endgame."

"I don't understand because we need to drive her home"

"Because she usually come to work by bike, feet or subway. But I don't think it could be such a good idea let her go home alone at this time of the night, dressed that way."

"And who goes?" Logan asked, with an expression on his face that was telling Goren something else. He didn't asked how he noticed she was dressed in an elegant and sexy way, or how he knew how she went to work every day.

"You are her partner. It's up to you to help her."

"Yes Goren, but it was your idea. And then, there is Alex, too."

"I'm not with my car, today, do you remember? You drive me yourself at work today because my car is on repair."

"But if you put this way, I can't do it by myself, neither, because I have to drive you home. So there's just Bobby the genius left. Bobby… see you on Monday, then."

Goren looked at the devil smile in Logan's face, and how Alex was… it looked like she was totally ok with it.

"Ok, see you on Monday." He said leaving the table, resigned. he immediately left the local from an other entrance, the one Toni's "boyfriend" couldn't see.

He didn't want he could think they were doing it intentionally. For what he knew, maybe she liked him, maybe they were having a story, or God knew what else…

Once outside, he took a cigarette and smoking it he dialed her number. She immediately answered to him.

"Madison"

"_It looks like you are in trouble, do you need some help? Act as you are speaking with a superior."_

"Yes sir, what's happening?" she answered him with nonchalance, seeing her "boyfriend" was now more interested in the call. He wasn't totally focused on her, but better than nothing.

"_I've the impression you want to escape from him."_

"Sir, I think you're right." She continued her play, smiling falsely at her mate.

"_Tell him something, find an excuse to leave. Tell him it was your boss at the phone, that he needed you or something like that. I'll see you in front of the secondary entrance, ok?"_

"Yes sir, as you wish. Listen, Danny – she said putting the phone in her purse – my boss called me. There's something he must ask me about a case I investigated on. I…I'm truly sorry, but I have to leave right now. I… Listen, I'll call you, okay?"

"Ok, I count on it. Bye."

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"You were really having problems with him, weren't you?"

He smiled at her while he approached her outside the entrance. Her small figure was illuminate a bit from the rare light of the roads. It was like her whole skin was flaring. He remained breathless for an instant.

"Not the best date of my life. Although I have to admit that it was more decent that the ones I had in the last year. Not so bad for a blind date."

"Please, don't tell me you met him in internet."

"No. nothing like that."

"Thanks god, I didn't figure you as an internet type. And you don't look like a matrimonial agency type, too; so what's going on?"

"An old friend from my old days in NY asked me to go out on a date with this friend of him, who works in his same unit at the FBI… he told me that there is this former girlfriend of him, that he had to go through with her, that I haven't had a date in a long time… so I accepted, because he show me a photo and he is totally hot and I haven't had a date since I left LA and I really need one… And I made myself sexy for him, too! but what happened? Not only he takes me to the same bar I spent my evenings when I go out with my co-workers… but he spends the entire time looking at his former girlfriend who is a policewoman, too, and speaking about her! He didn't listen to a single word I said… I swear, I've never been more embarrassed in my life, never felt so much the need to run away and escape…"

"I've got my experience in bad dates, me too, so I imagined you could use a little help, here."

"Well, you imagined right. Thank you, I owe you one."

"Yeah, well, no problem… listen… I saw you came with the subway this morning, do you need a lift?"

"It's not necessary; I'll take the subway again, thanks, I don't want to disturb you."

"It's almost one o'clock; it's note safe for a single woman. Besides, your building is on road. I have to pass in front of it to came back home. There's no problem. I swear, I'm not that bad as driver."

"Deal. - She said entering in his car, a 2006 black Jeep Patriot. – I had a jeep when I was younger, me too. I loved that car. It was a red Cherokee."

"In your old days in NY? – he asked her while driving her car – I didn't know you were from here."

"in facts, I'm not. I'm French. better, I'm half French. My mother was from Paris. She met my father when he was working for the family enterprise in France. They fall in love, get married, have 4 children… and when I was 5 and my mother died in a car accident, dad decided to come back to NY with all of us. I grew up here, I studied here, I joined the police here, too."

"I believed you were from LA"

"I moved 10 years ago. When my marriage went to hell, I was a little… depressed, so I decided it was time for a fresh start; I asked for Vegas or LA, and at the end the last one accepted me in, and since my older brother's brother-in-law at the time left the Marines and moved there, JJ asked him to look over me, and so he did. Matt is one of my best friends."

"And there, 6 years ago, you joined the serial crimes investigation unit… it's what you are best know for."

"Right. You know, it seems you know my career very well. Maybe better than me."

"But I don't know how you met Mac Taylor. It's like you know him very well. And I didn't know you were married. Children?"

" What? Oh, you mean if I've children…"

"Yes. I'm terribly curious."

"I had a daughter, but I gave her in adoption. Too young."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. And besides, less people who have to deal with my dysfunctional family"

"We…we were speaking about Taylor, right?" he noticed the sadness in her eyes, and come back to the original topic.

"Oh, yes, Mac… Mac was in the Marines with my older Brother, JJ, and with JJ's brother in law, Matt Sheppard. JJ is ten years older than me, but he always cared a lot for me. He believed I was the one who needed him the most. With the years, he became a sort of surrogate father for me. He and his wife were always there for me… as I grew up, I became not only a friend of Eve and Matt, but of Mac, too. It's almost… it's almost 30 years since I met Mac for the first time."

"You're old - he said her with his gorgeous smile – but you still wear some tattoos. Two, at least."

"you are really a know-it-all…"

"Many of the things I know, come from what I notice. For example, the blouse leaves your scapulas uncovered, and so I saw a Celtic knot, a triqueta I believe, on your right one. And a stylized sun on your left ankle."

"Each of my tattoos has a story and a meaning. for example, my French grandmother was studying the symbols used by the Early Catholic Church between the Celtic tribes, when I was a teen. The triqueta is the symbol of the holy trinity, I liked it and I'm a catholic, so I did it. I did the sun some years later, just because I wanted to make my dad angry. And my third one…"

"you've got a third one, too?"

"It's a winged heart, I did it when I was a bit older, I was 28, when I fall in love with a man who worked at the serial crimes unit with me. At the time, there were our names written in capital letters inside the wings, but when we broke, three years and an half later, I decided to cancel the names and maintain just the picture. God, I nearly married him… can you believe he confessed me he had cheated on me since the beginning the morning before our wedding? I can't believe he was so surprise I left him… but, changing topic… It seems to me to remember we were speaking about age… and I want you to know that you are older than me. But I don't think it counts, because you're a man and men age well. And… " she remained in silence for a while.

"What? Continue. I want to listen to what you have to say now."

"I'm started to feeling a little embarrassed… because I never took my mouth closed and it's not like me. I never speak about myself… especially with men. I'm not able to relate myself with men. Or with other human beings. It's why I end at a blind date." She said almost laughing.

"you look drunk, you know?"

"I'm not so good when it comes to bear alcohol… I believe I was trying to forget that my date wasn't exactly my date, because I only drink alcohol when I had "problems" with men… God, I hate this headache."

"Tomorrow will be worse. But don't worry, it's the alcohol, that, as you probably know, helped you to loose your inhibitions while you were speaking with me, too" He said as he stopped in front of her place.

"I didn't loose my inhibitions, believe me."

"Yes, you did. We work together only from some weeks, but I already notice how you are."

"You did?" she asked him with an evil smile.

"Not… Not in that matter. Believe me, I could never…"

"So this evening no one is going to tell me I'm a fascinating woman…" she answered him with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

"no, wait, it's not what I mean… I don't mean you are not fascinating or interesting… you are one of the nicest person I ever met and probably the most interesting one."

"So, you think I'm fascinating and interesting and that I'm loosing my inhibitions…?!" she said with that evil smile of her again.

And that night she was really fascinating, he wasn't lying to her. With a new haircut (shorter hair),make up, without the glasses she normally wore at work, some jewels, a pastel red blouse who uncovered her shoulders, a pair of black low-waist jeans not too much tight but not too little, and black heeled shoes, she was instead very nice and attractive. He couldn't believe her date couldn't see what was in front of him. And she was culturally an interesting person, too, who showed a lot of interests in common with him.

"I…" he didn't know how to react to her words, what to say and how to say it… he remained speechless for a while, looking in the void and then at her; it was in that moment that he saw that she was now nearer to him, that her lips were almost touching his. He don't waited a second more, and coming nearer and nearer to her, he let her kiss him, in a way the both of them didn't kiss and feel in a long time. It was a fiery and passionate kiss, full not of passion… but of need, too. She removed her hands from his shoulders and caressed his chest, feeling the bit of his heart, loud as hers, and whispered something in his hears, before to give him an other kiss, this time more delicate, and to leave.

"Now it's what I call loose my inhibitions. See you on Monday, Bobby."

"See you on Monday, Toni." He said when she was already at home. _Great, and now what can I do?_

He didn't know it was the same thing she was thinking at home, sitting on the floor of her living room, not able to do a single step more.

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	3. The Day After

Disclaimer: unfortunately, I don't own them. I'd like, but I don't. I appreciated a lot the reviws, and I'm glad you like my story. This is Chapter 3 up for you. i hope you like it, because I re-wrote it yesterday... i can't say you the reason, yet. I beg your perdon if this chapter and teh next one will be less long, Hope you still like it. so, like the other times, i'm just asking you to say to me if you liked it or hated it and to R&R!

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE DAY AFTER-----------------------------

It was almost midday when Toni finally woke up from her sofa, still dressed as the night before. She had still her make up on, and her face as well her hair was a disaster. She looked more like a living dead that a living person. She walked in direction of her bathroom, with hands on her forehead… the headache was increasing second after second. Bobby was definitely right about that. She came at the decision not to drink again in her life, no more alcohol for her. Thinking about Bobby, something else come into her mind. She wasn't able to remember it clearly… it was something he told her… or something she told him, or something one of them did…

_This is definitely a good reason to quit with alcohol… at least nobody is here but me, so it means I didn't do something very stupid like I did that time in LA…_

Toni remembered the time she and one of her friends, Lucas, an advocate, get drunk after going out to celebrate a victory upon a serial killer… not only they ended in bed together, but she confessed him she was in love with him. Unfortunately, he was in love with a woman who wasn't her… end of a great friendship.

Entering in her bathroom, she disposed her clothes on the green floor, and entered in the shower, opening the cold water. A lot of bad dates and terrible relationships taught her how to deal with her double Whiskeys with ice, and she knew for sure a cold shower was always of help. That, and coffee. And she meant real coffee, the one she drank in Italy, when she visited her grandmother, who was studying the Liguri Tribes. She always thought that the best coffee of the world was the Italian one.

When she left the cold water, she started to dry her hair, and doing it she involuntarily bit her lips. She closed her eyes, remembering a certain feeling, a certain taste, a something she did… something she now remembered clearly. Something that she probably was going to regret..

_Great, I kissed Gore__n. Very smart, girl. Now what do I do? Thinking better, it was just a kiss… no, wait… it wasn't just a kiss… I kissed him twice… ok, now I can really panic… because one kiss is a thing, but two kisses are a totally different thing. but that's not the problem. Ok, this is the problem, but the __main__ problem is that, while I kissed him, he kissed me, too. So it wasn't a "one-way" kiss, but why did he kissed, me too? And why did I kissed him? I even don't like him! I mean, I like him, but as a friend, as a coworker, I don't like him romantically or physically speaking! But that's not the main problem, the main problem is that he kissed me. Why the hell did he kissed me? He liked me? No, he can't… I'm not his kind of woman… so why… What did I think? What did he think? And what will he think? ok, now it's official. I'm in panic…_

Goren, instead, wasn't thinking so much about what happened. Sure, he wasn't certain of what it could mean, but he was sure it didn't mean so much, especially for him. He wasn't interested in her, not in that way. And then, she was a little drunk when she kissed him, and maybe she just wanted to be nice with him since he saved her from the worst date of her life. Well, she definitely had a way to be nice with him. And he wasn't forgetting that, for a while they had been so close. Yes, this was for sure the reason behind her kissing. But these didn't explained why she kissed him that way… and twice. There was a lot of malice in her, in her moves. It was like she was trying to seduce him. But it didn't make sense. They knew each other from just few weeks. She wasn't the kind of girl who acted that way after a so short amount of time. Or was she? Ok, now he was not only thinking about it, he was thinking about it too much, and he didn't know what to do. Because if we was sure he didn't feel anything but friendship for her, he didn't know what she felt for him.

_I must ask for help to someone. But whom? There's Ale__x, she definitely understand women better than me. But I don't know how I can explain her what happened, and don't forget she doesn't like the CSI detectives too much. And there's Mike, too. Sure, he has a certain style with the other sex, but he would understand I'm speaking about Toni and he'll start to gossip around, and neither of us need this… Mike is worst than a teenager when it comes to gossip. I can always ask Lewis. He always listens to me and he knows women better than me, maybe he can help me to clear my mind. Ok… normally, at this time, on Saturday, he is always at the café near his house. Hope this Saturday he did the same, too._

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Entering at "le blue bar", Bobby immediately saw his old friend sitting at the bench, drinking some black coffee, and smiling at the young waitress in front of him, a girl in her first 30s, long blond hair and blue eyes. He took the sit near him and ordered the same.

"What brings you here, Bobby? Let me guess… a woman?" Lewis smiled a little, he was almost laughing at Bobby. He didn't wait for his answer, so he restarted to drink his coffee.

"I know what your smile means, and it's not what you think." He said with an annoyed tone of voice looking in front of him.

"and what do I think?"

"you think it's something concerning Alex."

"So it's not Alex, eh? – Lewis looked less concentrated in the young waitress, now it was like his full attention was focused on his friend – what's her name? Do I know her?"

"Her name is To… Antoinette Madison – he corrected himself immediately, not wanted to use the abbreviation, to look to attached to her – and you don't know her. And it's not what you think."

"I didn't say a word"

"I don't have a crush on her. I don't love her. I don't like her. I like her just as coworker, friend and criminologist.""

"So, if you already know that you don't like her in a romantic or physic way, why do you need my help?"

"Because… I believe she was trying to seduce me. But I don't know for sure. And I don't know how to behave myself around her."

"She did what?? A woman tries to seduce you and not only you come here, by me, instead to go to her, but you have to courage to lament about a thing like that? You know, everybody think you are crazy, and I'm starting to think it, me too!"

"I'm not sure she really did it, and I don't want that she believes that I've strange ideas." Bobby was trying his best to remain as cold as possible.

"you are not sure? Bobby, I know you're not the greatest expert on relationship and women on the planet, but how can you not know for sure? I mean, or she tried to seduce you or she didn't. there's no a middle way."

"I helped her to escape and I drove her home. That's all."

"Escape? You mean she has been kidnapped?"

"From a bad date, what did you understand?"

"Ok, sorry,so you helped her to escape from a bad date and you drove her home. Why do you think she tried to seduce you?"

"Because, when we arrived at her place…"

"She asked you to come in?"

"No. She… she kissed me. Twice. In a … a malicious way. And I answered to her kisses. And I don't know why, since I don't see her in that way!"

"She started the kissing?"

"Yes, but she was a little drunk."

Lewis remained a little in silence, than, smiling at his friend, he gave him his advice. "Bobby, that's only a thing I can tell you. Ask her why she did what she did. I can't say for sure if she tried to seduce you or not, I'm not her, for God's sake. You must ask her for explanations."

"You know Lewis, I think you are right. The first time I'll see her, I'll ask her why. Thanks for your advice."

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	4. Monday

Disclaimer: always the same. and, as always, thanks a lot to the marvelous people who still find the time to review my story. if you like it, i'm happy, if you don't like, i'm happy, too, because good criticism is what helps a writer to emprove his abilities. so, this is chapter 4 up for you-. an other brief chapter, i hope you will R&R IT!

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MONDAY – INTERLUDE 2-----------------------------

After almost 2 days, Tony finally took a decision; now she knew hot to deal with Goren and the whole kissing thing. _Pretend girl, just pretend that nothing happened. Or that, at least, you don't remember it. After all, you were so drunk that you told him your entire story; maybe he will believe it's true. No, it will not work…Bobby is Bobby. He will immediately understand that I'm acting. I know it's something I usually don't whish for, but please God, in order to avoid Bobby, Logan and I need a lot of work. Make Captain Ross order us to look to a lot of cases. When we will have done, we will through with this whole thing._

Toni exited from the subway just in front of the Department. She was wearing a pair of gray pants, a sleeveless dark green blouse, a jacket in the same tone of grey of her pants and a pair of chamois leather tennis shoes. She was just entered in the office, when, going at her desk, she had an eye-contact with Bobby. _Pretend_she remembered to herself, as she was that he was going in her direction; but while she was giving the mental instruction to herself, he was already arrived in front of her, ready to speak to her who, instead, was speechless.

"Listen Toni, I was wondering if…"

"Madison, duty calls! – Logan said placing an hand on one of her shoulders, he was just exited from Ross' office - we have something big."

Toni forgot everything was happening between her and Bobby, and went on "professional mode" again; she turned herself to look at Logan.

"You mean just for the 2 of us?"

"yes" he answered with a brilliant smile. It was the first time, since her arrival, that she and Logan had to work on a big case without Bobby and Alex.

She answered at his smile, smiling, too, telling him just "Ready to go". She looked at Booby again, for an interminable instant, facing him, biting her lips, not knowing what to do or to say. He smiled at her, with his dark eyes, and while she was leaving the office with Logan, he simply wished them Good Work.

_Maybe next time will work _he thought, looking at the already closed elevator. _It must work. I must tell her the truth, I don't want see her disheartened. _

"What's up with the 2 of you?- Alex, noticing that he was lost in his thoughts, went in front of him, trying to wake him up – Earth to Bobby, you here?"

"Sorry? What did you ask?" he just saw that she was in front of him.

"I asked what's up with the 2 of you. But your face already answered to my question."

"We are just friends, there's nothing between us. God Alex, I'm just coming to know her."

"You mean, as I did when I stated going out with my late husband?" Bobby immediately understood that the sentence was more an affirmation than an answer.

"No. I mean as friends. As coworkers. As people who spend the majority of their time together because thy work together… that's all."  
"Bobby, I'm not going to judge you. If you like her, well, good for you. She is what you probably need. She looks good for you. I just want you to be happy. Bobby, I really don't remember the last time I saw you happy with a woman. And if you are happy with her, good, I'm happy, me too."

"Alex, it's not what you think. We are just friend. I don't love her!"

"Yes, but remember, I just want you to be happy." She looked a bit sad while she was speaking with him about an other woman.

"Alex, I…"

"Goren, Eames, in my office, there's something for you, too!"

---------

"What happened?" Logan and Toni were driving to their Crime Scene, speaking about the pieces of information thy had, when he suddenly come out with the question.

"What?" she pretended not know what he was talking about.

"Friday… I mean, Saturday, when Bobby drove you home…"

"Nothing" se just replied putting her black Versace sunglasses on. _People always understands if I'm lying or not looking at me in the eyes. If he doesn't see my eyes, he can't understand. Can he? _

"This morning, you two acted in a strange way, and Saturday you looked so grateful when he saved you, so I believed…"

"You believed that something happened? – she didn't want to him to complete the sentence, and, seeing that not only he wasn't adding something more, but also his expression, she did it. – you _really_ believe that something happened! Logan, sometimes you look like a pervert!"

"He is man, and you are a woman. I'm not a pervert just because I asked you if you two did the most natural thing in the entire universe"

"You know, you really need a real girlfriend. Speaking of which, there's this girl…"

"Your blind date didn't work. Did you know that he left with the brunette?" Logan was talking about that night and Danny.

"His ex. But believe me, I'm really god in arrange blind dates for other persons. And then…"

"Then? Madison, what are you _not_ telling me?"

"I need help. Just a bit. Just a little. And please, call me Toni. You know how I hate when people calls me Madison."

"Is she a cop? Because I don't date cops, ok? You… you are speaking about a she, right?"

He stopped the car in front of the building where their crème scene was; she immediately showed him a photo on her mobile: there were Toni, dressed with a pair of beige short pants and the top of a orange and brown bikini, and an other women, a bit older than her, very alike, who was hugging her at the shoulders, with a bikini and a pair of short jeans, on the seaside.

"Interior designer. And she is really a she."

"Where's the rip-off?"

"Mike, let me introduce Elle, one of my sisters."

"What? Your sister? No Toni, no. no way. I'm not going out with one of my partner's sisters. If it doesn't work…"

"Mike, I'm not asking you to marry her. I'm just asking her to go out with her once or twice while she is here in NY for I don't know what. See it as a way to save my mental sanity. I can't really stay with her for 10 long days. I'll need a break or two. I can't always have someone on my road who keeps asking me who I'm sleeping with and why and why not."

"Well, that's my role. I mean, you have already me."

"Mike, please. It's for my mental sanity. Please…"

"Listen, now we will focus on our case, then we will see."

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What do you think? you liked it or you hated it? let me know what you think and see you in 3 days for Logan and Medison's investigation!


	5. Duty Calls:Logan and Madison

Disclaimer: always the samest. thanks again to everyone who spent time making reviews. i really appreciate them, so keep doing them, it's not important if they are bad or good.

Chapter 5 is now up... as always, R&R!

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**LOGAN AND MADISON**--------------------------

Mike and Toni arrived on the Crime scene something like 45 minutes after their exit from the Department. It was a Liberty palace, well conserved, with 3 floors. They didn't need that someone told them what sort of people lived here, it was quite evident. Not only the zone, the palace. Things like the car in front of the building. The pieces of furniture. And, over all, the owner's surname: Roger.

"Stairs or elevator?" he asked her, as they made their road to the entrance; the elevator was a structure of metal and glass, on the outside of the building. Logan looked at how she reacted at his presence: she had a mix of disgust and disbelief printed on her pale face.

"This is what I call richness" he added.

"This is what I call bad taste – she answered taking her sunglasses off – I'll take the stairs. This thing makes me… - she gestured searching for the right word – it's disgusting. It's the greatest case of bad taste I've ever seen. It's a crime against good taste and art. I mean – she continued as they walked trough the stairs – you can't have own a liberty palace and put that thing on his outside just because you're rich!"

"I'm more concerned about the owner than how he treats his palace"

"You've got a point. Donovan Roger is Senator Roger's son, and he is missing, while we have the half-naked cadaver of a woman in his house"

"Found around 8.oo by the waitress. It's not going to be simple. We've a cadaver, a missing man, and a senator involved."

They entered in the bedroom where M.E. Peyton Driscoll (Mac's girlfriend) was examining the cadaver, who was laying on a four-poster with red silk covers.

"This is definitely the bad taste fair - She told more to herself than to the others – Peyton, have you already found something?"

"Oh, hey! – the English woman noticed the presence of the both of them, and raised her look from the dead body to them – Jane Doe, 25-30.she was killed yesterday night, around 10. Dilatation of pupils and dryness suggest she was under the effect of some type of narcotic. And, since there are petechial hemorrhages and a scarf around her neck…"

"Erotic asphyxia?" Logan asked, looking at the fact that the lady was wearing sexy lingerie and had a silk scarf, of the same color; difficult to believe that it was just a mere coincidence.

"The only thing that I can tell you is that there are signs of asphyxia. I can't tell you why, it's up to you to find. By the way… I found some tissues under her nails and blond hairs on her. Stella, I mean, detective Bonasera, already had them. She already left for the lab."

"WE didn't found documents or her clothes, and no pone her seems to know her. - Danny Messer arrived at their shoulders and made few photographs of the scene – have you seen how narcissist the guy is? He has his photos all around the place."

"Yes, I saw them – Mike said as Toni went nearer to the cadaver – and guess what? Donovan is blond, and we have blond hairs on a cadaver that is in his place. We don't need Einstein to understand why he is not showing his face around to answer to our questions about Jane Doe."

"Sooner or alter someone will report her missing, and then we'll find who she was and what she had in common with Mr. Roger – Toni looked at him and again at the dead corpse – maybe someone already did". Her voice was now not more than a mere whisper.

"If she was a prostitute, no one will ever reports her missing, but if she was married, or had a boyfriend, maybe…"

"no signs on her ring finger. She wasn't married. And she was too classy to works on the street, and not so beautiful to be in the high ranks. I think she had to be just rich, maybe she had a family behind her. Look… professional manicure, a fashionable haircut, and very expensive French lingerie. She has at least 200 $ of Chantelle underwear." She said pointing at the silk and lacy set in antique pink that the girl had on.

"Chantelle?" Mike asked her a bit surprise.

"It's a mark, like Victoria's secrets in the USA. Chantelle is one of the more expensive mark of French lingerie."

"I didn't see you as an expert in sexy lingerie…"

"This is classy and sexy, not something just sexy. And I don't think I've to justify myself with you about my knowledge of underwear, but, if you truly want to know, I saw them on a catalog because I was helping one of my best friend who was looking for lingerie for her wedding."

Mike smiled a bit, because he looked in her eyes: not only they were telling she was lying, but that she was a little embarrassed in admit that she liked that sort of things.

"Do you really remember something you saw on a catalog years ago?" Peyton asked her while Mike was asking something to Danny. Toni beat her lips and, at low voice, she admitted the truth with her friend.

"Don't say a word around, ok? I've to admit that I've it in dark blue."

"You really do?" Peyton was almost laughing; she knew Toni from a couple of years, because she was a good friend of Mac, and she have never saw her as that type of girl.

"It's one of those things I keep from special occasions… if you know what I mean – she rolled her eyes and bit her lips again – didn't you ever made yourself sexy for your boyfriend?"

Peyton woke up from the position she was in, and, whispering and smiling, she told something in her hears.

"Does it work?"

Toni answered with the same tone and smiling and laughing as her.

"When I used it, it worked, but I have to admit that it' s a long time from the last time I put it on. " she admitted.

The M.E. said hi to everyone and walked put of the room, with her men who were taking away the body. Logan and Madison did the same.

"And if she isn't in the system and no one reports her missing?" it wasn't that he didn't know the answer, he simply wanted to listen to her; she looked so secure when she talked about the girl and the fact that beyond any possibility someone had reported her missing…

"Photos from upper-classes events. Maybe she was in. and then I know someone who know someone who maybe knew her. Do you know detective Flack? His girlfriend is some girl very rich from the high class. And I've got my acquaintances, me too."

-------------

(Later that morning, at the Department.)

"Is there anything new?" Ross asked to the both of them as they walked in the office, drinking both black hot coffee. Toni found this "commercial coffee" ugly, true, but, the first time Logan offered her some, she wasn't able to find the courage to say to him "no", and she accepted. The time after, it was her time to offer, and so she did, and so on. Although she still considered Italian coffee as the best, she was starting to find this "commercial coffee" acceptable.

"We were going to give a look at the missings, to see who Jane Doe could be" Logan answered.

"CSU is already working on it. The M.E. is performing the autopsy right now, and we could have the first results in less than one hour. For now, we just know a thing for sure…"

"That she died for asphyxia. And that she seems quite rich." Logan completed Toni's sentence. They both had to be honest: they worked very well together. As it was for Goren and Eames, they skills completed each other. Tony started to think that she probably had to abandon the idea of revenge on Mac.

In that moment, Tony's mobile rang. She immediately answered, and happily she recognized the voice on the other side: Danny Messer.

"It was Messer, from CSIU. They put her prints in the AFIS and found a correspondence... she is… she was Irene Bellucci. She was in the system for some robberies. And there's something else, too. Donovan Roger is at Mercy's. A wheel found him at midnight, near his home, and brought him there. He has minor injuries."

"go and ask him few questions. Let Logan do it, Roger will probably be more comfortable in speaking with an other man. But I want to you to listen to him and see if you can understand if he tells the truth."

---------

(At the Mercy's Hospital, later)

Logan and Madison showed their badges to a young nurse of the E.R., asking her if she could show them Roger's room. The max. 30 years old blonde woman, smiling, immediately gave them a number and showed them a direction, with her right hand.

Logan entered immediately in the room, leaving Madison on the outside, where she was with ears and eyes open.

"Mr. Roger? I'm detective Logan. May I speak with you?"

Donovan Roger looked at him for while, as I trance, than he nodded, with his mouth still open.

"Who's Irene Bellucci?"

"She… she is…. – he stopped, taking a breath,, suffering a little, than he continued – she is my bedmate, if you know what I mean."

"I've a certain idea – he said to him, trying to appear close to him – you know where she was yesterday evening?"

"She wasn't with me. And I don't think I've anything else to add."

"Bit she was at your place…"

"I. have. Nothing. Else. To add." He spelled.

"I believe you are not going to give us your DNA, are you?"

The 25 years old boy just smiled, without add a single word. As he did it, Logan left the room and immediately joined Toni.

"What do you think?" he asked her, who was still looking at Roger.

"He is hiding something from us"

"He is not going to give us his DNA"

"His father is too powerful; we'll never have a warrant. But…"

"But?"

"But the nurse is exiting with the garbage, and I saw she took off some band-aids. Maybe there's a bit of blood…"

"And we don't need a warrant for hospital's garbage."

-------------

(2 days later, at Mercy's hospital)

Logan and Madison entered again in Roger's hospital room, followed by an attorney, and it looked like the young rich boy was already waiting for them.

"Mr. Roger, we are her to arrest you for Irene Bellucci's murder. You have the right to remain in silence; all that you will tell will be used against you during the trial; you have the right to call and have a lawyer…"

"It happens that I'm Mr. Roger's lawyer. I'm Ferguson Craine – the red head middle-aged man told them – may I ask you what evidences do you have against him?"

"Mr. Craine – Toni finally decided that it was her time to speak – we found the body in Mr. Roger's house; the scarf used to kill her was full of his prints…"

"Prints on a scarf? I don't believe you. You are trying to force him to confess something he didn't do."

"Believe me, with the right material and the right instrumentation, CSI investigators can find everything you want and need. Overall if the UNSUB is already in the system. And I think I was forgetting to tell you that she had his DNA all over her."

"We didn't allow you to access to his DNA. Do you know what it means?"

"We didn't take it directly from your client, sir. We've our resources."

"and we've got a lot of people ready to testify that, that evening, they left a party together, both high. And now, if you want to excuse us, I've to handcuff your client."

"Mr. Roger – the attorney said – we've got a certain idea of what happened that night. We want to help you. We will not ask the maximum if you will confess that you murdered her."

"We want to see the evidences you say you have against him, and how you collected them; then, and only then, we will think about your offer."

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LIKE IT? hate it? r&r!

see ypu in 3 days for chapter 6!


	6. Duty Calls : Eames and Goren

Disclaimer: always the samest. thanks again to everyone who spent time making reviews. i really appreciate them, so keep doing them, it's not important if they are bad or good. 

Chapter 6 is now up... as always, R&R!(and sorry if it took me so long, but i get very sick the week before Christmas, and i'm still only at my 50)

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------------------------**EAMES AND GOREN**-----------------------------

Meanwhile, Alex and Bobby were on their crime scene; Mikhail Dimitri's attic was set on the famous 5th avenue; it was one of those apartments that occupied an entire floor. It was the rich Russian businessman in person to open them the door of his home.

"Mr. Dimitri, we are detectives Eames and Goren – Alex told him with a calm voice – can you please tell us what happened? Because, when you called, you didn't explain exactly what happened."

The blond man, almost 45, went in panic and, once on his sofa, hands on his head, he started to cry and shouting something hysterically.

"They stole it! I spent my entire life collecting them, and they stole it!"

"Alex turned herself to look at Bobby, and started to look at him a bit surprised.

"A theft? They sent us here just for a theft? What's up with Ross, is he crazy or what?" she told him, almost rhetorically, with a quiet voice, avoiding to look at Dimitri, who was still on his sofa, crying and suffering and hysterical as a newborn child. Bobby just lifted his shoulders and started to give a look at the entire apartment from his position.

Alex decided to sit near Dimitri, to try to calm him down and to understand better what happened, while Bobby left them to join a crime scene investigator, Lindsay Monroe, who was taking photographs all around the apartment, especially near a cabinet in ebony and glass, where 6 stones that looked like diamonds were doing good show of themselves. Bobby started to give a look all around, and immediately noticed few things; he decided to ask Dimitri, still in panic like a child, a few questions.

"Mr. Dimitri, a see there's an empty space, for a 7th stone…."

""Yes, it's… it's what they stole from me!" he cried.

"There were 7 stones, like diamonds, with a vein of color. Mr. Dimitri, we are speaking about the 7 deadly sins' diamonds, aren't we?"

"Yes, yes, it's true – he said joining Bobby near the left gems – they had been given as nuptial gift to Alexandra from her husband, the Zar-to be Nicholas 2nd. After the 1917 Revolution and the death of almost all the royal family, the stones disappeared. It seems that someone from the court stole and sold them, dividing the 7 gems. They become a legend. When I left Russia, I decided to see it the legend was true, and 2 years ago I was finally able to tell to the entire world that not only the legend was true, but that I was the owner of all the 7 sins."

"Mr. Dimitri, can you tell us what sin is missing?"

"what? I don't understand why… wait, do you believe there's a reason in particular if this diamond in particular is missing?"

""Yes, and I think the diamond was stolen from someone near to you, because the alarm was deactivated and there's no trace of housebreaking. So, can you please tell us what diamond is missing, so that we could go on with our work?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and looked for an instant at his feet, than looking at Bobby's eyes, he finally decided that it was time to answer to their question.

"Luxury. The missing diamond is called Luxury. And if you really believe that there's a reason behind the theft of this stone in particular, well…"

"Some disappointed lovers, Mr. Dimitri?" Alex asked him a bit sarcastic.

"It's not so simple" he started to look again at his feet, but this time he put the hands in his pockets, too.

"I see you have a wedding ring – Bobby started – are you trying to tell us that you are married and that you have a mistress, too?"

"It's not so simple, either."

"So, you have more than one mistress?" it was Alex's turn to try.

"Neither this time"

"Mr. Dimitri – Alex said at high voice, going near him, a little frustrated – can you please tell us what's happening?"

"Dimitri started to look at her face, a little worried and terrified.

"I've… two… wives" he finally admitted.

"You're a bigamous?" she asked him a little shocked.

"And… I've a mistress, too." He admitted biting his lips.

"Mr. Dimitri, do your women know of each other?" it was Bobby's turn to speak again.

"No, of course nor. My mistress doesn't know she is my mistress… she believes I'm single and that she is my fiancée…. No one knows about my secret."

"Whom do you live here with?"

"I live her with my first wife, Caterina. We are together from almost 10 years. But she isn't here. She is Miami with her parents."

"and what about your other stories?"

"My second wife, Anne Marie, is from New Orleans. I've one of my subsidiaries over there. I met her 5 years ago and we get married 3. And there's Elizabeth Braddock, from Chicago. We are together from less than one year."

"let me guess, you've one of your subsidiaries in Chicago, too?" Alex asked him sarcastically. It was Dimitri's look that answered positively at her question.

"Mr. Dimitri, are you sure nobody knows of your secret? Do you know for sure if any of your women knows of you?"

Dimitri concentrated to see if he remembered something, trying to go past the shock. "Last week… last week Anne Marie come to NY and one week I found her in my office. She… she told my secretary that se was my wife, and so Claire found out… she… she knew about Liz because once I asked her help to choose a gift for Valentine's day."

"Tell us about your secretary" Bobby asked him.

"Claire Santoro, 42. she is with my from more than 11 years."

"Did you ever sleep with her?"

"what sort of question…"

"Mr. Dimitri, if you want to find your precious stone, answer our questions. It's now or later, at the department." Alex didn't know if she was more enraged by this man's behavior with the other sex or by the fact that, again, Bobby was leaving her out.

"It happened a long time ago, even before I met Caterina… and…"

"and? Mr. Dimitri, please, continue" Alex asked him again.

"Few months ago, I was having problems with Caterina, for her parents… and I looked for solace in her."

"Mr. Dimitri, can you please tell us where and when we can find your 4 ladies?"

--------------------------

(That evening, at the department. Interrogation Room)

Goren and Eames were sitting inside the interrogation room, waiting for the door to open. When it happened, four women, between 42 and 27 years old, entered, followed from the same number of lawyers: 3 men and a woman.

"From what Dimitri told us, Caterina and Elizabeth had to be in Miami and Chicago, but as I see, you are both here. For this reason, I don't think I have to make the introductions, do I?"

The 4 women looked for an instant to each other, than at him.

"Claire told us everything. It happened last week."

"You… you are Caterina Dimitri, right? There are some images of you and your husband at your place." Caterina Dimitri was 42, as her husband, and like him she was of Russian origin. She had long black hair and dark eyes, a bit cruel. She was dressed in a very formal way and had very eye-catching jewels in yellow gold and precious stones.

"She has nothing to say to you. Caterina, don't say a word to them, right?"

"Oh, Walt, please, it's not necessary." Caterina almost laughed while she was speaking with her lawyer, a mean near his 60.

"She is right. Common, they already know. So don't waste our time and tell them the truth." It was Liz who was speaking. She was a 27 years old girl from Chicago. Very young, dressed in jeans, a blue top and a denim jacket; almost without jewels, she was a redhead with green eyes.

"She is right. We did this because we wanted to make him suffer. If we have to do something…" Anne Marie began the sentence. She was 38, brown eyes and hair. Her style was very similar to Caterina's one, maybe just because they were both his wives.

"…let's do it well. Doesn't happen what will happen to us." It was Claire who finished Anne Marie's sentence. She wasn't as formal as Anne Marie and Caterina, but she still was a classical type. A dark blue tailleur with pants and a white shirt, she was probably older than the others of the group, with her long blond hair and her ice-blue eyes.

"What's really matters, it's that the most important thing of his life is now gone, forever." It was up to Caterina to speak again.

"If you want to confess anything, we must to read you your rights, first, you know that?" Bobby asked them. For the entire time, he had been almost ever in silence; he had ever looked at them with an expression of understanding, of closure…

"Read us them. We can't wait to see his face when he'll find out what we did." Claire was smiling a lot. She and the others didn't care about what was going to happen to them. They just cared about made Dimitri suffer. And, in all honesty, he found that they have almost reason. He was a jerk, pig, heartless, true, and probably he deserved it, but what they did was illegal. He was a bit reluctant in reading them their rights, but it was what he had to do, and so he and Alex waited to know what exactly happened. It was Caterina who spoke for first.

"Last week, Claire called and told me everything about this whole… situation."

"I was his girlfriend 11 years ago, I always believed he wanted to marry me…But he didn't. and then, one day, he told me about Caterina and that he was going to proposed to her. – Claire made a brief pause, sobbing – and then, one day, I became just… just his mistress."

"And that happened after he married me 3 years ago"

"And after he started to date me, one year ago."

"When Anne Marie come in his office, everything was finally clear… I understand not only what was happening…" she continued.

"but he was doing at the 4 of us, too. – Caterina spoke again – she decided to tell us the truth, to tell us who our beloved man was. And I gave them an idea…"

"Caterina and I knew we weren't what he really cared about. The most important things in his life were that damn stones. Seven stones that represented the seven deadly sins, all the sins…"

"Including Luxury. What he was guilty of. Because don't think that he married and stayed with us just for love. It was just for luxury, and to control us better." Claire finished their speech, a speech that belonged not only to her and Caterina, but to Liz and Anne Marie as well.

"May I ask you what you exactly did?" he asked them with a sweet tone of voice.

"My father is very elderly, more than 80. He has a lot of health problem. I told Mikail I was going to visit him and my mother because the cure for his breathing problems wasn't doing well and I wanted to see him again, in case something happened. But it was a lie. My father is even better than 10 years ago… I didn't go to Miami; I stayed her in NY, by Claire."

"When last week I come… after Claire and the others told me everything… I called him, and I told him I wanted to stay a bit more here in Ny. And, since I knew he wasn't going to come back to New Orleans until 3 months, I asked him to join me in my hotel to… spend a little of our time together and have a little of fun."

"When he was with Anne Marie, I come back home, passing by the security door. No one saw me. And I took his precious stone." She said smiling.

"Where's the gem now?" It was Alex's turn to speak. Again, Bobby was leaving her out of the investigation. She wasn't surprise, because she knew it was his style, but she didn't like it… especially that day.

"A friend of mine gave me the name of someone who could cut the stone in few hours" Liz told smiling as never before. But securely it wasn't a smile of love of happiness… it looked more like an evil smile of revenge.

"He will never have the 7 sins, never again." In that moment, Caterina took from her purse a red velvet sachet, and showed them what there was inside it: a little stone. Immediately after, the other 3 women did the same. Each of them had an identical sachet, with an identical gem on its inside. It was what remained of the gem of the deadly sin of Luxury.


	7. Clarifications

Disclaimer: always the samest. thanks again to everyone who spent time making reviews. i really appreciate them, so keep doing them, it's not important if they are bad or good.

Chapter 7 is now up... as always, R&R!(and sorry if it took me so long, butI'm working and I don't have all the time I wanted)

* * *

After the Irene Bellucci's case had been closed, Logan and Madison stayed in office until almost 10 o'clock, to complete their reports and control that everything was fine. They both had a bad looks on their faces: Mike had for almost the entire time the left hand on his chin, wondering about was going to happen, while Toni was sighing and massaging her forehead with her left hand; Mike, still in the same position, looked at her for a while, and saw that something on her left wrist was missing.

"You are ambidextrous, aren't you?" he asked at her who, too taken from her report, didn't understand at all if he was making an affirmation or a question.

"Sorry?" she asked him as just awaken.

"You are wearing your clock on your right wrist, so, since I saw you write with your right, I thought that maybe you are ambidextrous."

"Oh, that... – she looked herself at her steel watch on her right wrist – it's just that I cannot wear bracelets on my right wrist because I'm a little uncomfortable in doing things like writing, cooking, gardening… so I put them on my left and the clock on my right. Logan – she paused for a while, looking a bit suspicious – why did you want to speak about such a thing?"

He left his chair and went to sit on the angle of her desk, looking in her eyes. She closed her black and gold fountain pen and started to play with it, waiting for Mike to answer; making sure her looks convinced him to speak. And it worked.

"I asked for two reasons. The first one, is that we are both worried about this case, because we both know too well that Senator Roger will never left his beloved only son stay in jail, neither he will let him be incriminated for murder. It's too dangerous for Donovan and Senator Roger's political career as well. So I thought that it was a way to lower the tension – she looked at her who smiled at him, and, leaving from where he was, he went in front of her, hands in pockets – second reason: you never speak a lot about yourself. It's like you… you don't let people enter in your life. You must be pushed. And so I did. I pushed you, started the conversation. I believed that, maybe… you know what I mean, right?"

She remained in silence for a while, beating her lips.

"I- she stopped again. She remained in silence, until she raised her look from her feet to Mike's eyes - I'm not so good when it comes to relate to people. I think that maybe this is the reason I'm a crime scene investigator and not a detective as you, Eames and Goren. At the CSIU, I don't have to relate to people all the time."

"You are a good detective. You are good in this work as I'm sure you are in yours. I can understand why you have problem relating to people, why you fear to relate to others. But you can work on it. You can be better. You can improve yourself. Look at us… we work together from almost 2 months and you never come with us…"

"I did. I didn't do it so often, but I did."

"Your body was with us, but your mind was somewhere else. – she looked again at her feet, finding that he was right – so, what about coming to Sullivan's with Eames, Goren and me? Do you like the idea?"

"Will you go out with my sister?"

"Will you join us?"

"If I say yes, you say yes, right?"

"Right." He answered her smiling. Why the hell she suddenly found his smile so sexy and gorgeous?

"Ok, then – she said taking her purse and her jacket – I'm ready to go."

While they were going to Sullivan's, she smiled for the entire time, amazed. She didn't believe Mike could do such an analysis of her. He was so… so right about her. How could it be?

Once inside, as they saw them, they immediately joined their coworkers. Alex was laughing, talking about a certain Nathan, her nephew. Bobby was laughing with her, smiling.

"We heard you had a crazy case" Mike told to the both of them going to seat near Bobby, on their same table, leaving Toni to stay near Alex.

"Imagine the situation: a man, 2 wives,2 mistresses, the 4 of them stole an unique diamond ,called Luxury, from his collection, a certain collection of 7 stones, called the 7 deadly sins – and they cut it in 4 pieces to make a jewel for each one of them." She said laughing a lot.

"At the beginning, it looked like he was more worried about the stone, but when he come at the district – Bobby continued, laughing exactly as his partner, thinking about what happened next – and he found out that not only all the 4 know the truth, but that they were on the same front against him… God, you had to see the scene to believe it…"

"When he saw the all of them together, who were going in his direction, he started to cry like a child, he… he run away behind Bobby and asked us to arrest him, because he feared them…"

"At least, you two had fun." Mike's voice was a little sad as he spoke with them.

"I believed you arrested him" Bobby looked sorry for the both of them. His voice was hiding something more: with their cases, he and Toni weren't able to find the time to speak about what happened between the two of them that night.

"He is rich and powerful. He'll find a way to get out."

"And she will never have justice – Toni added, right before to leave her seat – I go to order. Is there any problem is I take the usual for all of you?" She immediately left for the counter, without waiting for their answers. She knew that they were going to say yes.

"Bobby – Alex started to look in an other direction, a bit angry and suffering – do I really have to tell you to go to her?"

"What?" he was a little shocked about what she just told him. And, over all, he was shocked about how she told him it.

"Bobby, go. Now. Because – she started to tell him angry, almost crying, gesturing in his direction – we are sick of you two acting in this weird way. In the last days you were impossible, more than in the other days!"

"But, Alex…"

"I don't want to know what happened or not happened between you two. Just go to speak to her and everyone will be fine, ok?"

Bobby left the table, speechless, frustrated, without to add a word. Alex was doing a big breath of relief, with a sad smile; Mike looked at her with an annoyed look, crossing his arms.

"Alex, are you really ok with them?"

"What?" he noticed that now she was looking at them, a little worried.

"I'm not blind. I see how you look at him. How you act towards him. I understand what you feel for him."

"Mike, I…" she stopped. She didn't know what to say.

"I know that officially you can't have a relationship with your partner, but there's no law that can't stop a heart from loving. Alex, you are in love with Bobby, aren't you?"

"If Bobby is ok, I'm ok, me too. That's all that matters."

Meanwhile, Bobby was reaching Toni at the counter, who was speaking about the more and the less with "Sulli" Sullivan, a man near the 60, owner of the bar and former uniformed policeman. She probably knew him from his days as a policeman, he thought as he approached her putting the right hand on one of her shoulders.

"They exiled us her – they wanted us to clear our minds – he said going to sit near her – and it's not so bad, since it's what I want to do from days."

Toni immediately understood what he was talking about, and decided it was the moment to clear their minds, for the both of them.

"I'm… I'm so sorry for what happened. It's just that… that I wanted to avoid you and your questions… I wanted to pretend that nothing happened, that I didn't remember anything at all." She was looking in front of her, serious, a bit embarrassed.

"Why did you change idea?" He asked her, looking at her pale imagine.

"We can say that I'm quitting analysis, because Logan not only seems to understand me better than my analyst, but he is cheaper, too." Telling these words, speaking about her coworker, she started to smile again, and decided it was time to look at Bobby.

"I just wanted to ask you why. That's all."

"Before to tell you, I need you to answer to a pair of questions. First – she breathed and bit her lips – what do you know about me?"

It took a while to Bobby to answer, but then he did it. "You are a Criminologist and a profiler and you are in the Force from 14 years. You spent 10 years in LA, working for the Violent and Serial Crimes Investigation Unit. You wrote an essay about vampirism in criminology."

"That's all you remember about me? Bobby, last Saturday I told you everything about my life and that's all you remember?"

"Yes, it's all" he didn't know what to do: to smile or not to smile, because he just understood where she was going.

"the Second question is: What did you feel when we kissed?"

"It was something just… Physical… but… I wasn't thinking about you, when you kissed me. I know it's not a good thing to say, but…" he understood clearly what she was trying to tell him. After all, he was a profiler, like her.

"And it's exactly what I felt, me too. And… and it's not what I'm looking for, right now. And you know it because it's the same for you."

"Yes, but…" there was still something he didn't understand.

"Bobby, last night was a mistake. I was upset and I wanted to know that I was desirable. And I was drunk."

"Speaking of which…"

"Yeah, I know, I know. It's not something good. But I can assure you that it's not something I usually do, and that I just drunk 2 whiskies. It's just that I cannot bear alcohol so easily. But you probably know that, because you are Bobby Goren, and you have already noticed that I never take alcoholic, but just nonalcoholic drinks and cold tea with ice."

"So you just used me to see if you were desirable." He was almost laughing; he was so relieved for this thing that he took a big breath.

"I know that's something that makes me no honor. I'm sorry, ok? I'm really sorry. You are such a great man… I like you very much, but just as friend and coworker. I like to speak with you, but we just speak about work and criminology, and that's not what a relation is about."

"You know, it's exactly what I think, me too. I'm happy we are cool, because I like to have you as a friend. The fact is that I didn't understand why you did what you did, and so I didn't know how to act around you."

"it was the same for me. This is the reason I was avoiding you. I didn't know what you thought. And now I'm just happy we are cool and everything is back to normal again. You can't imagine how relived I'm."

"I'm happy that you are again friends, me too. So, now that everything is perfect, can you please take these damn drinks and let me serve the others? Thanks." Toni and Bobby looked in direction of the voice: they just noticed that Sulli had already served them, and that their drinks were in front of them. A little embarrassed, each of them took 2 glasses – she, her and Logan's ones, Bobby, his and Alex's ones - and they come back to their table, where they saw immediately how serious Logan was and that Alex was trying to hide the fact that she had just cried.

"Alex, are you all right? What happened?" Bobby went to seat near her; it was evident – from his looks, his manners, and his tone of voice – how worried about her he was.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm just fine. I was just thinking about a pair of thinks…"

"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Alex smiled, still crying. He was again _her_Bobby, all hers, all worried and concentrated only on her, and again with his head in the right place.

"Everything's all right. Everything's perfect."

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	8. Of Date, Love and Jealousy

Disclaimer: always the same, ever.

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------------------------ OF DATE, LOVE AND JEALOUSY---------------------

It had been a long, annoying day without action, the "gang" was still doing what they did for the entire day (and in the days before): writing reports, reading reports, and controlling reports… especially old ones. Toni was almost done with her ones when Mike left his desk to go near her, with one of his evil and mesmerizing smiles. She found herself lost in the dark haired man, not so strange, since it happened quite often in the last weeks, since the day he "analyzed" her, the day she confronted Bobby, ending their accident, two weeks before. She realized not only that he was speaking with her, but that she wasn't able to concentrate on his words… and that she was speechless. Not exactly an habit for her.

"Earth to Toni. Do you ear me?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. I was just thinking to… something. So, what were you telling me?"

"I was just asking you what time shall I come by you? I'm leaving and I still don't know."

"Oh, yes, well, I think around seven could be perfect."

"Ok, than, see you later."

"Yes, see you later. Bye."

Mike said hi to Eames and Goren as well, and disappeared in the elevator. Toni, instead, decided to continue for a while her job, but when she raised her eyes from her papers, she found that Alex and Bobby were staring at her; their looks were very different: while Alex was looking at her quite stunned, Bobby was having again one of his famous evil grins.

"So? Why do you suddenly look at me this way?"

"We were just… we… - Alex paused a bit, going near her, speaking at low voice – you go out with Mike?"

"What? No, wait, you misunderstood, I mean, I'm not going out with him!"

"True, because he is coming by you." He corrected her, still with his grin on face.

"No, no, I mean, yes, but it's not what you think!"

"He asked you at what time he has to pick you up." Alex told her, with crossed arms.

"He is coming by me, but not to pick me up. He goes out with one of my sisters."

"Sure, whatever." Bobby told her without looking at her.

"Sorry?" She went near his desk, a bit angry.

"You bit your lips, while he was speaking with you, and when we asked you about what was happening, too." She hated him when he made his "Bobby Goren knows everything" stuff on one of them, especially on her.

"And so?" she crossed her arms, anger and anger.

"So, Mike is going out with your sister, but I bet that it's you the sister who wants to go out with him." He looked again at her, with his damn grin still on his face.

"I had to admit that Bobby is right. In the last few weeks, you two acted in a strange way. And that's not all… You flirt with him, and he flirts with you."

"Oh, please! – she went in direction of her desk, closing the file that was still open, and taking from the chair her black leather jacket- You are wrong. I don't love Mike… neither I like him!"

(Later, Toni's apartment)

"So, how is this guy?" Toni was in her room, near the oldest of her sisters, Elle, who was trying an infinite number of clothes in front of a mirror.

"a bit older than you, I don't know how much exactly. He is elegant, charming, intelligent, sensitive, athletic, dark eyes and hair, tall, with a mesmerizing smile. In two words, quite sexy."

"You just defined your partner "sexy" – she smiled at her sister quite maliciously – the black top or the red one?"

Toni bit her lips, avoiding her sister's comment. "It's not an official date, you don't have to be so unsure and elegant. Take the first decent thing. You know that this is probably the one and only tine you'll ever see him, right?"

Elle took a red blouse, and turned herself to face her little sister.

"Did you notice that you just bite your lips?"

"What do you all have with me and the fact that sometimes I bite my lips?"

"You like him- Toni didn't understand if it was an affirmation or a question, she just looked at her, annoyed, speechless and amazed for how sweet her sister could be sometimes. – did you already sleep with him? -the same, old Elle again. She remained silently speechless again – oh, sorry, I forget that relationships between coworkers aren't allowed. I correct myself: did you already sleep with someone?"

"I already answered at your question, like 100 times."

"Oh, sorry little miss perfection, but I assumed that sisters speak about this kind of things."

Toni was going to tell her sister something, but was interrupted by the doorbell; looking outside a window, she realized it was Mike, and that it was already seven. She opened the door, making him enter; she was quite surprised to see that he was quite embarrassed, like he didn't know what exactly to do. It was quite as hock for her, who was embarrassed like him and always saw him like a lady's man.

"I hope you didn't have problems in finding me"

"Nah, I know the city quite well and you live just a couple of blocks from the department. By the way – he gave her a bunch of white flowers – I didn't know if I had to bring you something or not. But then I remembered that last week I saw you while you were looking at a bunch of white tulips outside a florist, and so I thought that maybe… I just hope that you like them, that's all."

"Mike, thanks. It wasn't necessary, but I really like them. I love them, thanks again." She smiled, smelling at closed eyes their perfume. He looked at her, whispering something in the air, but she wasn't able to understand what he told. In that moment, Elle left the bedroom, wearing a red blouse and a pair of beige pants. "Can I join you two?"

"oh, sorry, I was going to call you – Toni woke up from her trance, beating again her lips – Elle, Mike Logan, my detective partner. Mike, Elle, my sister."

Elle watched at the both of them, and then at the flowers in her sister's hands.

"Oh, you bought her white tulips, her favorite flowers, what a gentleman. Toni, can I have two words with you?"

"No, it's late, and you are not going to ruin Mike's plans for the evening. Take your jacket, go, and we will speak… when we will speak. Bye bye" She forced them to leave and, once done, she throw herself on her white leather sofa, still with the flowers in her hands. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, to think, but she wasn't able to. She was already stopping to try, when the barbell rang again. When she realized it was Alex the one at her door, she remained quite surprised, but immediately she opened the door at her coworker.

"I wondered if you, maybe, wanted a little company, and maybe a glass of chocolate and vanilla ice-cream." Seeing the shopper with the two tins of ice-cream, Toni smiled at her coworker, who was smiling, too. The former criminologist showed Alex the sofa and, once turned on the TV on some sentimental movie, she went in the kitchen to take glasses and spoons.

"I know this movie… it's with Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman… what's the title?"

"I know it! Damn, I saw it a couple of times… it's, it's… it's "Someone like you"!"

"Yes! I know it! It's about a reporter who falls in love with her best friend. At the beginning, she thinks he is just a lady's man, but then she discovers he is deeper than she believes. Ehy, nice flowers, you probably paid a lot for them, tulips are quite rare in this season."

"in fact, since they are quite expensive, I never buy them in this period. In fact, I didn't buy the, Mike did." She gave her a spoon and a glass, sitting near her.

"Mike is really a lady's man. I never saw her, and it's probably the one and only time he will do it, and he buys her flowers…"

"Not for her. For me." She clarified, taking a spoon of chocolate.

"For you?" Alex did a smile who was telling " girl, I knew it" without words.

" You know, Bobby did that expression a lot."

"We'll speak about Bobby later, Now, let's focus on the main thing, Logan bought you flowers?" She was more and more exited.

"No" she simply answered.

"Wait. – Alex was a bit confused – I thought that you said…"

"Mike didn't buy me flowers. -she explained, pausing then for a moment- He bought me _my favorite_ flowers"

"How did he know it?"

"Well, it seems that last week he saw me while I was watching them outside a florist. And that's not all. Do I have my clock on my right wrist or on the left one?"

"What sort of question is this? I don't know, on your left one, I think."

"Although I'm dexterous, I have it on the right one. He noticed it, and he noticed the lips tic, too. Well, it seems that everybody but me knows about that, but this is not the point."

"A man who notices all the small things you do, how sweet. My mum would say he loves you, or at least that he likes you."

Toni remain speechless, and, stopping to face Alex, she gave again her attention at the TV, like to avoid the discussion, something that her coworker immediately noticed.

"Toni, you like him, don't you? – she continued to avoid her – Toni, if you like him and he likes you, what's the matter?"

"You like Bobby and Bobby likes you, what's the matter?"

"Bobby doesn't like me and it's not about me we're speaking about."

"Yes, he does, he told me."

"BOBBY DID WHAT!?" Alex left the sofa, facing her, screaming angrily.

"He… just don't tell him you found out speaking with me or he'll kill me."

"Toni, don't try to change topic, and tell me what he told you."

" When we spoke, a couple of weeks ago, for "clearing our minds", you remember? We spoke and he told me."

"He told you instead of me?"

"He said he is not ready."

"Not ready after… after 7 years? Toni, tell me the truth, you told me ion purpose, you wanted me to find out, right?"

"You are trying to put me and Mike together, and so I thought that, maybe…"

"You could help me and Bobby to get together."

"Mike always tells that I've to improve my personal relationships with the others."

"So, Mike always tells you something and you listen to him?"

Toni stopped to eat her ice-cream, and looking in the void made a little, sad smile.

"It's that he is so… where do I start from? He is sweet, nice, clever, handsome, sexy… well, I probably I like him… no,I like, I really like him."

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	9. Of Date, Love and Jealousy part 2

Disclaimer:always the same. Note: sorry if it's not as long as usual, but I tried to do a "stand alone" chapter with date love and jealousy part 1, and it was a bit too long, so i decided to make two chapters... hope you'll like it.

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----------------------OF DATE,LOVE AND JEALOUSY (2) ----------------

(_Meanwhile, at Luciano's)_

"So, you and my little sister are working together from a while." Elle was having dinner with Mike at Luciano's, a nice Italian restaurant not too far from Toni's place, and she wasn't very comfortable, for two reasons. The first one was that he wasn't speaking from the beginning of their "date", the second one, was that Toni clearly liked him, and vice versa.

"Yes, it's something like 3 months and an half, but it's just temporary. When my partner will be back from Europe, she will return to the CSI unit." He continued to eat his Fiorentina steak, without looking at the brown haired woman in front of him, who had already finished her salad. Elle looked at him, curios, trying to see what her sister was seeing in him; he was older than Toni, much older, and she had to admit that, among Toni's preys, there were better and sexier men. He didn't look so special; truly, Mike Logan seemed to her an ordinary man, but she knew Toni very well, and if Toni told he was special, she could bet he truly was.

"And how's work with her? I mean, I lived with her for years, and I know she could be not very easy, sometimes."

"Your sister is great, really. She always gives the 110, and never gives up. She is intelligent, smart, clever, and sometimes she is so funny…"

"It seems that you liked her a lot."

"yes,- he answered after a while, trying to think about what he had to say- I like work with her. She is a great partner."

"I didn't mean in that way." Elle looked at him, in his dark eyes, cold and fiercely.

"Yes, I know. In was trying to avoid your question, that's all."

"Well, try to avoid better and next times you are with her and someone else, try to let your eyes shine a little less, and stop to flirt with her so openly, or all the world will understand that you have a crush on my little sister. Although I don't think it's so bad."

"It's not so simple"

"She isn't seeing anyone"

"It's not that, the problem. And besides, I can't date a coworker.-Elle didn't answer; it's her look that did it in her place. - is it really so simple for you?"

"in the Iliad, king Menelaus was married with Helen, the most beautiful and angelic living woman. But one day, Prince Paris of Troy, thanks to Aphrodite's intervention, met her. They felt in love at first sight, and they escaped together at Troy. And you know what happened later? The entire Greece went at war with Troy, for more than 10 years. As you see, Logan – she paused a little – loved was able to move empire, to cause wars. And you, what would you do for love?"

"You know, you are strange, in a funny way, but still strange. More or less like your sister."

"I'll take it as a compliment – seeing that he wanted to add something, she stopped him, as she left her chair to leave once and for all – Logan, I don't want to know what you want to say. Just remember that my sister is different from all the other women you had met and you will ever meet. And, over all, remember that she has a lot of people who cares about her, and we will go after you if you'll make her suffer."

_(Back at Toni's)_

"If you like him, what's the problem?"

"I don't want to screw things up, especially now that we still have to work together."

"I exactly understand what you mean, it's the reason I never told Bobby about… about my feelings. I don't want to loose my best friend, but neither my partner. We two, we work too well together, I can't imagine to work with someone else."

"Everybody knows how complementary you are."

"I envy you. In less than two months, you will leave us, and will be able to give a try to… to you and Logan."

"I don't know. Do you think that, if I asked him out…"

"The day you'll ask him out, he will say yes and he will take you in his arms, taking you straight to the altar. And if he asked you out, you'd say yes as well."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you want. But, what about you and Bobby?"

"I'll figure something out – she said taking a glass of red wine, and giving one to Toni as well – but now that I know the truth, I have to do something."

"Well, we could do the most simple, yet difficult, thing…"

"I don't know you, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to confess Bobby how I feel"

"I don't know you, but I had to do something. I can't continue to be lost in his eyes every time I have a conversation with him."

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	10. Heart Issues

Disclaimer.always the same. so, the new chapter is here...R&R as always!

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HEART ISSUES

Few minutes after Alex left, Toni was still looking outside the window, wondering what to do about her and Logan, not knowing that Logan, who was at Luciano's with her older sister, was doing the same thing, as well Alex, who was walking down the dark streets, in a night full of life and lights; she, without thinking, ended in front of Bobby's apartment: maybe it was a sign, to convince her to make her move before it was too late, or maybe it was just the fact that she took too much wine. She looked at the door, and at the enlightened window of his living room, remaining immobile and speechless, thinking at the many times she found herself in that room, with him, about how she felt those times. Those times, was different, because during the last few months everything was changed: after she saw Bobby and Tony together, that very first time, she felt so jealous, and was forced to admit that was jealous of him and that she felt something for her partner, something strong and deep, and somehow, she astonished realizing that, although she and Bobby had almost everything and were almost like a married couple, she wanted more. She didn't want to be like his wife. She wanted to be it, really, with all her fibers, all her being.

When silent tears started to escape from her eyes, Alex decided that was finally time to leave, but once she gave her back at his front door, she felt someone gently grabbing her for an arm, as for asking her to stay, to stop to run away. She turned, just to see that he was an unsure and casual (he was simply wearing a jeans and a t-shirt) Bobby who was asking her, with not words but just his physical language, to stay.

"Hey" he didn't let her go, but simply did an half smile.

"Hey" Alex was doing his same expression, not knowing what to say, to add, to do.

"I… I was smoking on my balcony, when I saw you staring at my door. Are you all right, Alex?" his eyes were becoming darker, sadder, more worried. Alex was lost in them, she wasn't paying too much attention at what he was telling her, and it took her a while to realize that he told her he was smoking when he saw her, something quite strange, since he just smoked when he has some big problems, like when he was stuck on some strange or difficult case, and she knew they weren't stuck on any case, to be honest, they had no case at all. So, if it wasn't for work, what was his problem? A couple of minutes later, when the both of them were still speechless, Alex noticed that he was looking at her in a strange way, and remembered that they were trying to have a conversation.

"Alex, are you all right? Do you want to come in for, I don't know, a cup of coffee, or some water?"

"No, I'm ok Bobby, really"

"No, you are not, and we both know it." He looked damn serious. In 7 years, it was the first time she saw him that way, and she had to admit that he was scaring her a little.

"Bobby, I'm ok, really. Everything's all right." She tried again to go, but, again, he stopped her, taking his partner detective for the same arm he took before.

"No, you are not ok. You are hiding something from me, and I want, I need to know what's happening."

"Bobby, I repeat you, I'm all right. For once, you had the wrong impression, that's all." She tried to escape from his vice, but he didn't allow her to.

"Alex, let me help you. Tell me what's wrong." Suddenly, he changed. No more he was rude, but sweet and worried; Alex wasn't still able to face him. Lowering her eyes, she started to cry, as he put sweetly his big and warm hands on her pale face, to dry her tears.

"Alex, please – he told her, as he bent down to look her in the eyes, while she was just crying more and more – from a couple of months you are acting in such a strange way."

"There's nothing you can do to help me."

"I'll find a way to fix it, if you'll tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong, Bobby, really" she took again control of herself, and took some big breaths.

"Alex… - he looked in her eyes, a little annoyed by her behaviour -TELL.ME.WHAT.IS.WRONG.WITH.YOU."

"THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME, UNLESS YOU THINK IT'S WRONG THE FACT THAT I LOVE YOU!" she shouted, crying again. Speechless, Bobby went to sit on the first step in front of his door, and, taking a cigarette from one of his pockets, he started to smoke, hysterically; Alex followed him, speechless as he was, and suddenly she remembered why she didn't want to tell him how she felt, to avoid to ruin everything between them.

"How long?" he just asked her, still hysterical.

"I… - she started, but then she paused, not knowing what to say, exactly, her eyes were shining, her smile the most bright he had ever seen on her in years of knowledge – it's hard to tell you when I exactly understood that I was in love with you. You know, the more I worked with you, the more I liked you. and then, when I had Nathan, you were so good with me for the whole time of the pregnancy, and then, when I had him, when I had him in my arms, I... - she smiled, remembering how she felt at the time – I don't know why, but suddenly I stated to wonder about could be have a family with you. I.. I think that was the moment I started to look at you in a different way, to think that maybe you weren't just my partner or my friend, but something different, something more."

"Alex, I…"

"I know, Bobby, you don't know what to say, and you want to keep things on this level."

"Alex, I know exactly what I have to tell you, but you stopped me before I could even start to tell you – he told her smiling, and, bending down on her, he sweetly kissed her on her lips, gently but yet with a certain passion, leaving, this time, Alex speechless – Alex, I know I feel something for you from the first time I saw you, that moment in which I understood you were the only one able to deal with me, and who wanted to deal with me, over all."

"Bobby, you never told me…."

Again, he smiled at her, with one of his flirtatious smile "Well, neither you did" he added, placing an other quick kiss on her lips, taking her shoulders under his protective embrace, when they both went to sit on the same step he were sitting on before.

"What do we do now?" she looked in his eyes, a bit sad and worried. She knew too well the rules of the department about relationships with partners, and how they were forbidden.

"Alex, we do, or at least, we try to do – he answered her, sweetly, smiling and caressing her chin- what normal people do: we go out together, we dated, we stay together, and we try to make it work."

"But what if…."

"No buts and no ifs, Alex. If we started with them, we can end it here and now. I told you that I was going to fix your problems, and it's exactly what I'm going to do. I swear, Alex, whatever will happen, whatever will take, I'll do my best to make this story work".

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Like it? hate it? tell me what you think of my story! Next:duty calls again! 


	11. Duty Calls again : Eames and Goren

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Note: THANKS A LOT TO THE MARVELOUS MISS WOOZY, WHO WILL MY BETA FOR THIS STORY FROM NOW.

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DUTY CALLS: EAMES AND GOREN/2

Bobby and Alex were having dinner at "chez Maurice"; it was their first "official" date, but they both knew too well that, things between them were already becoming "almost" serious. She was smiling and laughing, speaking about the children of her family; he smiled at her, too, amazed from how she looked like. She looked… he couldn't find and exact word to describe her, it was like she was shining, while was talking to him about children. He immediately remembered when she was pregnant of Nathan; when he fell in love with her. He mentally took note, to remind him to speak to her about it. He didn't want to wait too long, for he knew she was probably going to be mad at him, and he could probably lose her, but he had to do it. He had to risk it, he was ready to risk everything for her. He was in what Alex called "Bobbyville", a state of mind in which no one and nothing could enter, when his mobile rang.

"Earth to Bobby, your phone is ringing. What to do you want to do about it?" he finally noticed the familiar sound, and immediately he answered, a bit reluctant and annoyed, still looking at her.

"Goren. Yes. Sure. When and where? Ok, I'll be there as soon as possible." He closed the phone, and saw the look of frustration on her face. She knew what was going to happen, and, in fact, few moments later it happened: a call on her mobile. The same call to Bobby was relayed to her.

"Eames. Sure. Ok, where did it happen? Ok, I'll arrive as soon as possible, bye." She closed the call as well, and look at Bobby, who had already paid the bill while she was talking, and was already putting on his coat. Walking up to her, he gave a tender kiss on the cheek.

"I'll go the long way around. I don't think it would be a good idea to arrive together at the crime scene both dressed this way. Rumours would start immediately."

"Well, at least we come here with our own cars. Could you imagine if Ross found out about us two? Hell, he is the one who always reminds everyone that dating a co-worker isn't allowed…."

°CRIME SCENE°

"It's a motel of the worst class. What happened here that you needed to call us, Captain?" Bobby asked, while he approached Ross with Alex, who was already at his side.

"Detective, we've got a problem." He was worried and tense, looking like he hadn't sleep in days. Bobby noticed that something was troubling him. When the detectives from Major Case saw the reporters, they both understood that they were really having a problem, and maybe more than one. They followed, freezing. Ross went inside the room patrolled by the uniforms, where Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera were already waiting. Their presence told everything: they were the best in what they did. Syd Hammerback, one of the coroners, was already with them. Suddenly, they could smell burning flesh, and it took them only few seconds to realize that it came from two dead bodies, who were lying on the nuptial bed that the two CSIs were examining. "I believe you now understand why you are here, detectives."

"Are we sure it's him?" Alex asked, as she saw Bobby going near Taylor to get a better look at the scene. He put his latex gloves on greeting the CSIs – whom he didn't like very much, but the feeling was mutual – with a simple gesture.

"As detective Goren has noticed, there's a golden chain with a catholic crux on the woman's body, something that no one but us knew. This is our third case…"

"I'll need to give a look at the reports, captain."

"They are already on your desk, Goren. Detectives , the major himself asked me to send my best agents, and you are my two best detectives. I don't care what you have to do; I just want you to stop this serial killer, hopefully without calling in the guys from Quantico, ok? Now I have to speak with the press, see you at the office." With this, he left the room, in direction of the crow of journalists waiting for him. Meanwhile, inside, Bobby and Alex were surveying the murder scene. Bobby was giving a look at the whole room, while Alex was still speaking with the CSIs and the medical examiner.

"I don't think I have to ask you how they died, but any idea about the time of death?"

"It's hard to say – the spectacled doctor answered her, taking off his glasses – but I'd say the last night, probably around midnight, like in the first two cases."

"You examined them, too?"

"Yes, and detectives Taylor and Bonasera examined the Crime scenes, too. They want the fewer people around this guy as possible."

"But are we really sure that it's the same guy?"

"Or it's him, or someone good enough to hack into our database and take information the press doesn't have." Taylor explained her, still looking at the cadavers.

"Any idea how he got in, why they let him kill them without fighting back, what he used to kill them, or who they were?"

"There's a door, here, do you see it, Alex? – Bobby looked at a door, masqueraded as a wall wardrobe door – it's been forced. Maybe he entered from here. It leads to another room."

"Something similar happened in the other 2 cases. In the first one, he used a back-door, in the second one, an internal door like this one" Taylor was now near Bobby and the door, illuminating it with the luminol "On the floor it seems that there's… it seems saliva. He probably was on his knees, spying on them. If we are lucky enough, he is in the CODIS."

°DEPARTMENT°

"Have you finished your reports, Bobby?"

"Yes, and I've to admit that I'm clueless. See, the first victim of a serial killer is always somehow related to him; it's always personal. But the detectives checked everyone associated with the first victims, his wife, her husband, their families… they did a great job, finding nothing."

"So, all we know at this point is that he just kills the unfaithful ones. All the victims were couples having extra marital affairs, and all of them had regular meetings at the same time and place each week."

"He controls them and then he kills them. it's not good. From now on, it will only get worse."

°3 WEEKS LATER°

Bobby was drinking a cup of hot green tea, when his mobile rang. He immediately answered, and heard Ross' voice on the other side.

"So the so-called PURIFIER just hit again. Ok captain, just tell me where and I'll get there as soon as possible."

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	12. Duty Calls again :Logan and Madison

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Note: THANKS A LOT TO THE MARVELOUS MISS WOOZY, my beta. thanks a lot, i love you!

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DUTY CALLS (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT): LOGAN AND MADISON/2

Toni was reading a newspaper outside her apartment, while walking to One Police Plaza, when suddenly she had the strangest feeling. She felt like someone was looking at her, observing her moves, but when she turned her head to see if someone was there, she saw just a brunch of ordinary people walking to work like her. She was still looking in the direction in which she believed her stalker had gone, when someone behind her put a hand on her right shoulder. She almost jumped and screamed at that, becoming paler than the usual.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Logan looked at her, with that gorgeous smile of his, a little sad and sorry for what had happened. Toni closed her eyes, put a hand on her heart to try and control her breathing.

"Please, don't... – she paused, a bit uncomfortable, still looking in around – I'm sorry, it's just that you made me jump"

"I'm really sorry, Toni, I didn't mean to. Are you sure you are all right?" he looked at her, still pale and, mentally,

he thought, elsewhere. He put a hand on one of her shoulders, but she continued to look around, more to avoid eye contact with Logan that for any other reason. She bit her lip and crossed her arms, ducking her head to look at her feet. Her appearance was scaring the hell out of him - she was almost crying. It was the first time he had seen her that way, and he didn't like it, a) because he liked her and b) because he didn't understand why she wouldn't open herself to him.

"Someone is following me."

"What? Are you sure about it?"

"No, I mean, yes, I'm sure, but I don't have any evidence. It's just…it's just a feeling, an impression, but I know it's real."

Logan put both his hands on her shoulders, and was going to hug her, but he didn't; instead, he looked her in the eyes, giving her one of his famous smiles.

"Toni, I don't think you are crazy. If you think that someone is following you, I believe you, and we are going to find out who this sick bastard is together, ok? I'm not letting you alone in this." He smiled again. he liked the sound of the word together in a speech about the both of them, ad he hoped, no, he knew for sure, that she liked it, too. But she removed his hands from her shoulders, smiling but uncomfortable; she didn't like to be seen so vulnerable, especially by Logan, her partner. She didn't want him to believe she was a damsel in distress, something less of what she truly was. She was a good cop, and she knew it.

"Mike, I'm sorry, but I was wondering... What are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up. We've got a crime scene, and, since I had to pass your street, I thought that I could give you a ride." He showed her his car, parked not too far away, on the other side of the street. When they both arrived at the dark blue car, Mike, like a perfect gentleman, opened the door for her; it wasn't that she didn't like it, but she felt a little… confused. She was not used to this behavior from men. "Mike, it wasn't necessary, not that I didn't like it, but please, can you stop it? I'm a little uncomfortable."

"You need it, you are too tense. I told you, now be quiet. We'll go through this together. If someone is following you for some reason, I'll help you. And this is just one of my ways to help you."

"And, what are you exactly doing to keep me quiet and calm?" she asked him, a bit sarcastic, while he was driving to their crime scene.

"I'm helping you keeping your mind occupied. Speaking of which, we never had the time to discuss my date with your sister… what was her name? Elle, right?"

"Don't pretend you don't remember her name, please. And let's not pretend it was a real date, 'cause we both know that it wasn't. If you think she's going to call you the next time she's in town, than you really are a madman."

"believe me, Toni, I don't wanna go out again with her, she is too… strange. Not in a negative way, but she's just not my kind of woman."

"And what exactly, Detective Logan, is your kind of woman?"

_You, and now I know it. _He was going to tell her, with his best smile, but then he couldn't. "You are the profiler, it's up to you to tell me. – he smiled gain, as he saw her expression- ok, changing topic, I wanted to exchange a few words with you about… about the other evening, and what your sister told me."

Toni froze, trying to look out of the window, to not let him see how uncomfortable she was. What the hell did her sister do? What did she tell him? "And… what exactly… what did she told you?"

"Well, almost everything. We spoke a lot about you. She told me things you would never mention to me, and I'm sorry about that, because I thought we were friends.- He genuinely felt sorry and she felt like a monster when she saw the look on his face – you never told me about an ex husband, or your dad's money."

"The whole Robert Patrick topic is a taboo, Logan, clear? – she said angry, almost shouting, with tears of sufferance – there's a reason if I don't talk about him, so, please, never mention it ever again. Robert caused so much damage that I almost lost my work. it was just because of him that I had to move away from NY in the first place…. Please, Logan. I don't want to talk about him... nor my dad nor the fact that I come from a rich family."

Robert Patrick? Robert Patrick was Toni's ex husband. Now he understood why she had to move away from NY and did not talk about him. Hell, the whole thing was a cosmic mess when it happened. At the time, he was still working with Briscoe, but everybody knew what Patrick had done, because it had echoes in the entire Police force. Robert Louis Patrick was a young detective, one of the youngest ones, and one of the most brilliant ones, too, but then, one day, someone found out that he and his partner were both corrupt, selling evidences and blackmailing a lot of people. It was a scandal, and he could imagine what people would think about her. If her husband was a corrupt cop, why wouldn't she be one, too? "I'm sorry. she never mentioned that Patrick was your ex… I didn't know it… Toni, I know how it feels when everyone turn you their backs. It happened to me, too."

"No one believed that you were corrupt, Logan, but the entire world though it of me. No one wanted to work with me. It's the reason I had to leave, and left my work as a detective to join the CSI department."

"I just want you to understand that, if you need someone to talk to,you can call me whenever you want, any time at night or day." A long moment of silence fell between them. Neither dared to speak.

"Mike?" she told him, suddenly, but very quietly.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to be rude after this moment,- she told him, a bit sarcastically, with an annoyed expression - but, when are you going to tell me what are we here to do?"

"I didn't tell you?"

"No, you didn't."

"Oh, yes sorry _damn, I lose concentration when I'm with her. _A theft, last night, in the jewel store on Sesame Street. Some jewels from a private collection were stolen from one of the employees." In that moment, he stopped the car in front of the crime scene.

"Wait, wait – she said as she got out the car – are you telling me that we already had the burglar?"

"he remained locked inside, when the strongbox fell on him. He is deader than the cadaver in Driscoll's morgue."

"Then, what are we doing here?"

"Rich people, Toni. You know how they work. After all, you are one of them. The boss asked us to keep up the appearances. So, what we are here for is a great waste of time. - he told here, but then, walking up to her, he guided her in direction of the entrance. He changed his tone, almost whispering. - You were right"

"What? What are talking about?" she saw how worried he was, and that made her worried, too. He faked a smile, pretending to show her the crime scene, while in fact he was showing her someone on the outside, behind the sea of people. "Do you see The brown head girl, with a green velvet coat? I saw her outside your apartment. Do you really think it's a coincidence?"

"Coincidences don't exist, everything is connected. Although… – she said looking in direction of Driscoll and Messer – I think she may be the one I keep seeing the past few weeks."

"Why do you think a teenager girl is following you?"

"She looks familiar…"

"Maybe she is the daughter of someone you arrested. We could ask her. – he went in direction of the girl, but she noticed him and run away, towards the subway. Logan decided to follow her – Madison, wait here, we don't know her intentions. Hey! Police! Stop!"

5 minutes later, he returned, without the girl. "I'm sorry, I lost her in the subway."

"Doesn't matter. Maybe you frightened her so much that she will leave me alone. – she entered the store, and he followed immediately in direction of Messer and Driscoll – Ehy Danny, what do we have here?"

"Apparently, an over-protective cop who seems to have fallen for you, who seem to have requited feelings."

"Ehy Danny, why don't you say "hi" to Montana when you get back at the lab, and ask her out? Because it seems that have fallen for her… if you are lucky enough, maybe the feeling is mutual."

"Madison, you know what? You are not funny. You'll never found a man if you continue to behave that way."

°LATER THAT EVENING°

Logan and Madison were leaving the department, arguing. After they had seen the girl that day, he wanted to drive her home.

"She is just a girl, Logan. I'm sure she is not dangerous. A lot of children want to meet the ones who put their parents in jail."

"if she wanted to meet you, then all she would need to do is come here. But she is following you, and this isn't good."

"Mr. Over-protective cop, I can take care of myself. I grew up with people who were in the military, and I've been a cop from a long time. The girl who can frighten me has still to born."

"Well, I'm happy that you feel that way, because – he paused – our girl is here." Again, he ran in direction of the girl, who turned and ran, but a uniform, seeing the scene, stopped her, and they took her back to Major Case, where Logan had all the intentions to interrogate her.

"Detective Madison, I want to know who is this girl that Logan wants to interrogate."

"Captain, she is… - she hesitated. He was her captain, and he didn't know of her situation – this girl has been following me for weeks. Logan and I found her at our crime scene, this morning, and she was on the streets, outside 1PP, waiting for me, just now. I still don't know why."

"Are you sure about this? Why wasn't I aware of it? If something like this happens again while you are still under me, you are to tell me immediately, are we clear, detective Madison?"

"Yes, sir, you are right, I'm sorry, but until today I wasn't completely

sure, so I didn't want to seem… crazy."

"Ok, for this time, I'll let it go, and you can interrogate the girl; I don't want to leave Logan alone, it seems that he is too overprotective towards you. Madison, you aren't fraternizing with your partner, are you? – he paused, noticing that she froze – I was joking, I know too well that neither you or detective Logan like to "fraternize" with other cops. Ok, let's go then, I want to find out what this girl wants from you."

°°°INTERROGATION ROOM°°°

"Ok kid, all you have to do right now, is tell us your name and that of your parents'. Once they're here, we'll start interrogating you." Logan was sitting in interrogation room 1, with Ross, while Toni was looking in from the other side of the glass. The teenage girl in front of him didn't seem a criminal, which was why he and Ross were so quiet and calm with her. She seemed just a terrorized kid, who didn't know what she had done wrong and why she was there.

"I don't need my parents here, I'm legally an adult." She said with a yarn of voice, without look in his eyes.

"Really? Are you telling me that you are 18 years old? 'c'mon kid, you sure don't seem like a 18 years old."

"If you don't want us to call your parents, than tell us your name, we'll check if you really are who you claim to be. – Ross paused, than looked with crossed arms at her – we need to know if you want a lawyer"

"I don't need a lawyer, I don't need it. I hurt anyone!"

"For the last time, tell us your name." This time it was Logan who looked at her, as he went to seat at the right-hand side of the girl.

"Carol Ann Danvers. That's my name. I was born in New York on September the 26th, 1989."

"Do you recognize the name? - On the other side of the mirror, Alex, who just joined, with Bobby, asked the former CSU investigator. Toni was looking at the poor girl, almost crying.-Toni, what's happening?"

"She was born on September, the 26th, in 1989…"

"I know that, she just told Ross and Logan… why are you crying?"

"You became an adult just few moths ago, and immediately you've started to act like a criminal. Girl, at your age you don't go to Jouvi, you go to the real jail, and it's not a nice place for nice girls like you. Going after a cop? please, this is the most stupid thing I've ever seen. Well, that, and going after a cop at One Police Plaza. And you did the both of them."

"I wasn't going after detective Madison... I was just looking for her… I found out she had returned in New York…"

"Why were looking for her? Did you want to hurt her?" Ross calm voice asked Carol, trying to calm her, as she had started to cry.

"I just wanted to see her… to meet her, but I didn't have the courage."

"Toni, it's her, isn't it?" Bobby asked her, putting both hands on her shoulders from behind.

"Bobby, what are you talking about? What's going on?" Alex was a little confused.

"Her eyes… she has her father's eyes… Tim's ones… - she cried, and turned to look at both Bobby and Alex -I have to stop Logan and Ross. She didn't want to hurt me, she just wanted to talk, to meet me, to understand…"

"Calm down, Toni, I'll do it. You can't do anything in this state." As he told her that, Bobby entered in the interrogation room, and went straight to Ross, whispering something in his right ear; the captain left with Bobby, asking Logan to join them with a gesture, and they all went into the observation room, where Toni and Alex still were.

"Detective Madison, I need to know if what detective Goren just told me is true."

"Can you please tell us what the hell is happening?"

"I'm just as confused as you are, Logan. Toni and Bobby won't tell me what's going on." At this point, Logan and Alex, and now Bobby, too, were outside the conversation, observing the exchange between Ross and Toni.

"Yes captain, it's true. Bobby told you the truth, the girl didn't want to hurt me; she just wanted to take her own path, now that she is an adult , to know the truth about her past."

"And what does it have to do with you?" The voice was Alex's one, but the though run through Logan's – and Ross'- minds.

"My daughter just wanted to know why I gave her in adoption immediately after she was born."

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Liked it? hated it? tell me what you think of my sory, i'm waiting for you!


	13. Duty Calls: Undercover

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Note: THANKS A LOT TO THE MARVELOUS MISS WOOZY, my beta. thanks a lot, i love you!

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DUTY CALLS :UNDERCOVER

A couple of weeks later the killer's last homicide, Alex and Bobby were spending a lazy Sunday morning on her couch, watching TV, talking and just having some fun. She couldn't believe it was really happening - they were together, and had been for a while - and it was great. More than great, it was fantastic. She was leaning against his chest, both of them half asleep, while he enjoyed the vanilla scent of her hair, thinking about how happy he was. He noticed how beautiful she was, and how she looked great a couple of days before, at Nathan's birthday party, with all her "children", her nephews and nieces. She really looked great with them, with any child. She had to have children of her own. It was meant to be, but…

"you can't have any more children because of me." She raised her eyes and turned towards him, looking straight in his eyes, angry and stunned, just like he was; Bobby had been so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't realized he was speaking aloud. He looked at his beloved woman, his jaw slack, unsure what to do or to say. After few moments, he decided to stop beating around the bush, and to confess his thoughts and his fears.

"it's just that… I've waited for so long to confess to you my feelings that now, you… - he paused, trying to find the right words to say – we are getting too old to have children, we don't have the strength to rise a child anymore, and you know that I… you know that I can't risk passing on my family's disease." It was in that moment that Alex took Bobby by surprise. She was smiling at him, sweetly. He had thought that she would be mad with him – and very much so.

"Bobby, I know we aren't getting any younger, but don't you believe that it's a bit early to speak about children?"

"Its' just that you are so great with children, and I thought that being honest with you about it was the best thing to do." Alex smiled at him, again and placed a gentle and quick kiss on his lips, leaving him a bit stunned. "Robert Goren, you are the stupidest man I've ever met. Did you really believe that I was going to leave you just for this?"

"It's not "just for this". It's something that matters a lot for the both of us. I'd like to have children, but you know that I can't risk putting in danger something so beautiful like a child… my child… and maybe yours."

"Bobby, it's too early to speak about children. We don't know where or how this thing between us will finish. But, if it became something like… like…" she gestured wildly, hesitating. Now it was her turn to struggle finding the words. Goren finished for her.

"you mean, something like a stable and serious relationship? Maybe marriage, too?" he looked at her, one of his hated and loved grins on his face.

"Anyway, as I was trying to say, if this thing did become serious and we even get married, knowing you and what you think about yourself and procreation, I thought that we could always go for the last option… adoption. We could be good parents, and I know you will be a great dad, I've always known. And, that way, we could do some good, too. So, what do you think? I mean, I know I told you it was a bit early to speak about children, but you were the one who started this, so I though that, maybe… you know what, Bobby? Never mind, just forget about all my nonsense."

He smiled at her, sweetly and started to caress her cheeks with the back of his hand, placing a kiss on her forehead. "If the both of us are thinking about becoming parents, then maybe it's not as early as you think. – he paused, looking down. A moment later he looked up again with a grin on his face – you know, I don't think that you can define 8 years as a short time. Maybe we both thought about it because it's what we should do right now. Maybe it's time for the… the next step. I mean, I know we've not been dating long, but we both know how this thing will end, so let's stop denying this and try now." He was facing her, deadly serious, while Alex was looking at him, stunned.

"Bobby, you mean that we have to tell Ross that we… that us…"

"We have to tell him how we feel about each other, the hell with the consequences, because I love you, I want to marry you and have a family with you -_Oh my God… Is bobby proposing to me? Did he just ask me to marry him? _– Alex, do you want it too?" _Yep, he is definitely proposing. How the hell can he do something like that to me? It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful moments of my life, and he is proposing to me on my couch, on a Sunday morning?_ "This is not how I pictured it, but frankly, until he asks me to marry him I don't care, I still picture this as the most perfect moment of my life."

"Is that a "yes, I'll marry you, and I agree that we have to tell Ross", Alex?"

She stared in his eyes, stunned. She didn't realise that she was speaking aloud and not thinking… she'd probably just told him everything, but she wasn't exactly sure what. She decided that there was no need of words between them, so she smiled at him and kissed him, placing her hands around his neck, as he mirrored the action with her. It was all they needed. What they didn't need was Alex's cell phone ringing on the kitchen table. "Damn, I can't believe this is happening! This damn thing ruined our perfect moment.- She was frustrated, but, recognising the ring tone as Ross' one, she knew that she had to answer. –Eames, what can I do for you, boss?" She listened to what he told her, without say a word, the smile disappearing from her face, leaving a worried expression in its place. Bobby stood in front of her, and from the look on her face he understood what was going on. He took his cell from his jacket, and waited for his expected call. _These damn psychos not only hit when things become interesting, but are ruining my perfect day and my sancta sanctorum of peace and happiness… they ruined the probably most perfect moment of my life with Alex._ A few seconds later, Alex closed her phone, as immediately Bobby's one rang. When he answered, he was not disappointed to hear Ross' voice.

"Detective, we need you here immediately. A guy showed up at 1PP, with some interesting news about the PURIFER." As Bobby closed the call, he went in search of all the details about the 5 murder cases in his memory, and got in his car to go to One Police Plaza.

(later)

It took a few minutes for Alex and Bobby to arrive at 1PP, at the same time, but in their own cars. Frankly, they couldn't care less about what people, and Ross, would think about it. As they run in the ballpen, they found their captain already waiting for them in front of the elevator; a worried expression printed on his face. He went in direction of Bobby first, telling him only 3 words "Interrogation Room 2", at which the detective replied going in direction of said room. Alex and Ross followed, stopping in the observation room, looking at Bobby, who was already taking notes on his notebook, and the young man in front of him. He could not been older than 35 years old, skinny, with blonde hair and light blue eyes. She couldn't believe that such a person, who seemed so calm and quiet, could have anything to do with their killer.

"May I ask you your name, sir?" Bobby's voice was sweet and low, like he was playing the role of the good cop.

"Martin… martin Davenport." The man looked away from Bobby; his voice sounded worried and scared. Alex wasn't a profiler, but she was sure that, although he knew something, he wasn't the one they were looking for. Bobby started to look intensively at the man. When Martin noticed, he tried his best to look at the detective. "You don't have to be scared, Mr. Davenport. We know you came here willingly, because you know how to help us and all those innocent people."

"It's just that… - his hands and his voice were shaking. Taking his head in his hands, he started to sob – my friend, my friend mark… he almost never gets drunk… but the other night, we were out, we were celebrating 'cause one of our best friends is getting married in few days, and he drunk a lot… and when he drinks too much, he… he speaks too much, really a lot, uncontrollably… Onn the way home he confessed to me... he confessed to me that…"

"What did he confess to you, Mr. Davenport?"

"He... told me that he wanted to kill a couple, at the Reminghton, a motel in the Queens, the following evening… and that it wasn't the first time… he confessed that a couple of years ago, he killed a girl he was dating who was cheating on him, in Toronto, where he lived at the time… A few moths ago, when he returned in the States, he… he started again… and.. he told me the names of his next victims…" the man paused, still crying, knowing that he had to go on, although his heart was shattered in millions of pieces.

"Mr. Davenport, you can trust us. You can tell us anything. We'll help you, if it's what you are scared about. We need to know everything. You have to tell us why you are so sure about the time and the place. Did he tell you exactly what he was planning to do?"

"I told you, he confessed me everything, he was drunk, and the day after he'd even forgotten he'd say anything…"

"That's not all, isn't it?"

"A Few weeks ago, I told him that I believe that my wife Claire was cheating on me… and he told me that he was going to think about it… when we went out… he told me he had seen her, and he knew what she was doing to me… and that he was going to take care of it… and them… if she dies, it will be all my fault. If someone else dies, it will be only my fault… and although I know that she doesn't love me anymore, I still love her, and I can't allow him to kill her… I love her too much… please, you need to do something to stop him…"

"You've helped us more that you know – he said leaving, putting an hand on the younger man's shoulders. He walked into the observation room and met Ross and Eames – Captain, we now have a place and a time. All we need now are some agents to arrest him, and someone to pose as bait. We can't risk the life of Mrs. Davenport or her lover's."

"it can't be me and Bobby, because he might have seen us at a crime scene or on the news. We were everywhere when the story went out, and he probably followed what the press released about his ventures."

"Yes, Captain, but we do have someone here who knows a lot about serial killers and undercover work." As the Captain nodded in agreement, Bobby left the room, heading towards his desk. He approached Madison and Logan at their desk, where they were finishing some reports from another case.

"May I ask you a favour?" he asked, with his trademark "I know everything and I'm irresistible" grins, to Toni, who was putting away her pen. The woman didn't answer, but looked at Logan, as if to leave the honour to the man. "You're lucky, Bobby, we've just finished the reports on that robbery case and have nothing else to do. – he grinned, like Bobby before, in direction of Madison, who turned her attention from him to Bobby, at Madison, who turned her attention from him to Bobby, without saying a word – what can we do for you?"

"I need someone for undercover work. I'd do it by myself with Alex, but we assumed that the perp would know who was working on the case, so I wondered if you two…" He didn't finish, and turned his head towards Logan, while Toni had already stepped in front of the older profiler, with an expression of curiosity, and was putting off her glasses.

"So, what do you exactly need us to do?" she was crossing her arms, more and more curios. After all, was a profiler, just like Bobby Goren, she, and dealing with perps was her job.

"Oh, nothing, you just have to go to a certain motel and sleep together." He told them as it was the most normal thing in the universe.

"Sorry Bobby, but I think that I heard you wrong. You told me that I have to sleep with Logan?" Toni didn't have the happiest look on her face.

"Oh, sorry, wasn't I clear enough? You just have to pretend to sleep with Logan. You don't have to actually do it, if you get what I mean."

Toni's look was still the same. She looked over at the grinning Logan and bit her lip, her arms still folded in front of her.

"When you say "perp", you mean a serial killer?"

"Do you remember the Purifier, as the press called him?" Toni now was showing some interest, not because she was going to go undercover with Logan (well, maybe that, too) but, for her, serial killers were something she was very interested in. "Well, I don't know Logan, but it' s been a long time since I last stopped a serial killer, so I think that, maybe…"

"And don't forget that you'll end seeing me shirtless, since we'll have to pretend that we're sleeping together. I promise you that it will be worth it."

"Sure, Logan this is the most important thing, I can't wait, I think that I might die waiting for that moment." She sarcastically added. As both men grinned, she was already going in direction of her captain… for now.

"I'm so glad that my dear Madison wants to spend time with me just because it's me we're talking about…" he was a little sarcastic, but inside, he knew she was dying to stay with him, and it was for more than the obvious reasons. He hoped… no, he knew… that the reason was him.

(the following day)

Logan and Madison had just checked at the entrance of the motel as Claire Davenport and Howard Stenberg, the couple Mark Harmon was presumably after. During their walk (her arms in his) from the lobby to their room (the same room that the couple always stayed in, on the same day, at the same time), as the real couple always did, they kept exchanging glances, smiling at each other, as any normal happy couple. Logan was whispering something in her ear, while Ross, Eames and Goren were watching at them from a distance; they felt a little like voyeurs, most of all Ross, although he knew, or at least he hoped, that they were just pretending. They seemed very… believable. While reflecting on his detectives' behaviour, he saw that they were closing the door of their room. At this point, he couldn't protect his detectives anymore. They were on their own, and had to be very careful.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Logan and Toni were stood facing each other. He leant closer to the brown head and he started to whisper something in her ear. Smiling, he put his hands in her hair, as she wrapped hers around his neck.

"Ross told that he is probably watching us, and we look like Davenport and her lover" She knew what he meant- they had to seem believable.

"If I take my clothes off, you have to close your eyes"

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed. I mean, this is not the first time you've been in this situation –he paused, not knowing if it was or not – right?" he smiled. It wasn't exactly how imagined to be seeing her naked (well, almost, at least) for the first time, but it was better than nothing. Finding out that under her armour she was so shy amazed him. "Well then, let's make a deal. I'll close my eyes when you strip, and you'll do the same for me." He smiled, grinning. He didn't mind, however. She could look at him for the entire time if she wanted, he would do the same, if he could, but he would respect her wishes. "Deal" she smiled, as they leant to kiss. Although he knew that it was just an act, he found himself enjoying too much, playing the game between them that had been around from a while. If she didn't know what to call it, he certainly did - flirtation, seduction, passion… even love. "Well, at least I know what to expect from you. If I remember correctly, you like sexy and classy lingerie, right?"

Going to the opposite side of the bed, he removed his jacket, putting it on a chair, and stated to unbutton his white shirt. On the other side, with her back to him, Toni was doing the same. Logan snuck quick glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and noticed the way she was doing it – seductively. She was trying to seduce him. Perhaps not consciously, but still, she was doing it… and she was in that damn blue Chantelle lingerie. He still remembered very well few months before, when he overheard her and Payton talking about it, while he was pretending to not paying attention. But, now, he was really paying attention. _Damn, she looks so sexy, and those tattoos…she is a beautiful and intelligent man-eater._ He thought to himself. A few moments later, they were both under the white silk covers.

"Just to let you know, I know you were watching me undress" she said, smiling a little. She put her head on his chest and felt Logan sweetly caresses and place a kiss on her forehead. She didn't feel too uncomfortable. In fact, she felt at peace, even a bit thrilled, like she liked the idea of her and Logan together. She had to admit, she was happy. It was as if this was where she belonged. It wasn't so strange, since she had noticed that he liked her and she had already admitted that she liked him in return.

"But if you saw me, then, it means that you broke your promise and looked at me" he maliciously added, still caressing and kissing her head. _For an older man, he is still very seductive and fascinating… _she started to think – however, it was her last coherent thought, as she put her hands on his chest and started to kiss him properly. He returned the kiss, placing his hands around her waist, deepening it, realising not only that he liked her more and more each day he spent with her, but that now, they had stopped pretending. She was kissing him, and he was kissing her back. He wanted her, all of her, but he knew her had to resist. For once, he didn't know if he could; he really wanted to show her how he felt about them. He decided it was time to break the kiss, but, as he looked at her, he decided that it wasn't what he wanted. After all, they had to seem lovers, right? Smiling at each other, Logan removed his hands from her whist, replacing them on her shoulders, and decided that he wanted –no, he needed - to kiss her whole body, starting from her ivory neck, going down to her scapula, where the tattoo was. He caressed her sweetly, but full of desire, continuing down to her breast. From the way she had previously kissed him, and based on how she was reacting to his touches, he understood clearly, once and for all, that she definitely wanted him. What he didn't understand yet was why she was so ruthless about opening up. Maybe they could start fresh, create new stories about them. _Why won't she tell me how she feels about me? And why won't I tell her how I feel about her?_ It was true, he had always had rules about not dating a cop, but this time seemed different. He'd told her sister, too, that it was just too complicated. He wasn't avoiding a relationship with her because they were partners, but because… because she was younger, much younger than him. There was something like 15 years between them. _Does she think I'm too old for her? _ After all, what could he give to someone so much younger than him? There was almost the same age difference between them then between her and Carol… _or is she doing this because of her husband, for what he did to her? I don't know if she's trying to protect herself or me… _

"Mike, did you hear that?" he stopped kissing her shoulders, as she got up in search of her gun on the bedside table.

"Yeah, I think it's coming from the backdoor. It was supposed to be closed…" he whispered, still in the dark, as he too reached for his gun with a hand, while in the other one he held his cell. They were sitting on the bed, waiting for something to happen, when they heard a metallic sound against the floor and smelt something - gas. Logan immediately directed to the cops that were waiting outside using his cell. When he finished, they saw the silhouette of a masked man enter in the room from the backdoor, a flame thrower in his hands.

"Hands up!" they heard the door being forced off its hinges, and light irradiated again into the hotel room. It had been Bobby's voice, who was pointing his gun – like Alex and Ross - at the man in front of them. Alex went towards the men, handcuffing him and read him his rights. No one really wanted anything to do with this sick bastard, but it had to be done. While they were arresting him, Logan started to put on his shirt again, and Toni was covered her body, for the moment, with the ivory blanket.

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Liked it? hated it? tell me what you think of my sory, i'm waiting for you!


	14. News Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Note: THANKS A LOT TO THE MARVELOUS MISS WOOZY, my beta. thanks a lot, i love you!

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EPILOGUE

Few days later, on a stormy and snowy morning, Mike Logan entered a bit late, running to his desk, hoping that Ross would not have noticed that he wasn't in on time. It wasn't exactly uncommon. he wasn't able to remember exactly how many times it happened since he had joined the Police a lifetime before, especially when he was younger _damn it, I have to stop thinking of myself as of an old man, I'm not that old!_.

Sometimes he was late because he got drunk the night before, other times it was because his alarm clock didn't go off and sometimes it was fault of a woman. This time, however, the excuse was his alarm clock, although he really wished it was because of a woman. Not any woman, either, but a special one, the one he desired, the one he wanted, the one he knew who wanted him. He was surprised to not see his partner at her desk like any other day. It wasn't like Toni to be late. Not having exactly what one could call a normal family or even a life of her own, her work was everything she had. It was her life. _What I'm thinking think about? She has a family and a life; she even has a daughter now!_ At the beginning, he just thought she was a feminine, American Stakanow(), but then, "staying" with her, spending time with her, he realized it was a cover to hide her true self and her insecurities. She hid what she was scared about and what she desired. He was _almost_ sure that the one she desired was him, because that night they weren't pretending. Well, he was more than "almost sure" he was "absolutely sure" because a) he saw the way she'd been acting around him from a while, b) Toni's sister had told him, and c)he knew that, that night, during the undercover operation she was not pretending.

"Have you seen Toni, or heard of her this morning?" there was a bit of concern in his voice, since he knew too well the world they lived in. He saw it every day. Once he arrived at his desk, he noticed Alex and Bobby sitting at their own desks, with nothing to do, although they seemed a little uncomfortable, as if they were hiding something. He knew, or at least could imagine, what that might be.

"I thought she was with you. After what happened the other day, I was sure that… - Bobby stopped, as he saw out with the corner of his eye the look Logan was giving him – Guess I was wrong"

"First time for everything, although I didn't believe I was going to have to wait for so long to witness this moment" Alex smiled, giggling a little.

"You know, Goren, I had never thought I'd have to tell this, but what are you, a pervert? Just because we are both late and we did that undercover op, you think that we had sex."

"who are you, and what did you do with Mike Logan?" Alex was still smiling and giggling a little, having fun at Logan's expenses, when Ross left his office, and headed in their direction, with a woman in her midltwenties. He remembered the time he introduced Toni to the group.

"Detectives, this is Nola Fallaci, Logan's new partner."

"What, my new partner? – He asked scandalised – but To... I mean, Madison…"

"Madison has been reassigned to the Crime Scene Unit, Logan. For a misunderstanding we only received the notification late last night. I had to call her at home at almost 10 to give her the news."

"But if Madison is no longer my partner, what about Wheeler? When does she come back?"

"Well, that's the other thing I have to tell you, detectives. Detective Wheeler isn't coming back. While she was in Italy, she met a certain Captain Venturi, a "carabiniere"(),and it seems that it was love at first sight for the both of them. They got engaged a moth ago and they are already planning their wedding. On the phone, she told me that we are invited. The formal invitations should be in the post in the next few weeks."

"Well, in that case, nice to meet you, Fallaci. – he paused, as if he was going to seat back at his desk, but then he changed his mind, and instead turned his head towards his boss, to question him. – Sorry captain, but do you know if Madison has already started work today? I have to ask her some details about the report she wrote about the last case we worked on."

"Ok, Detective, I got it. You're free to go, but I want you back here ASAP. Fallaci, detective Eames will give you the tour of…"

"To be honest, Captain – Eames interrupted - I'd like to speak with you about… I just really need to speak with you, that's all."

"I' need a word too Captain" Bobby stopped his captain, before the man could ask him to give Fallaci the famous tour he was speaking about. Ross didn't like it, their expressions and their voices sounded suspicious, and the fact that they wanted to speak with him, than. He was fairly sure about what was happening..

"In that case, Fallaci, please go with agent Dandly, you've already met him, and tell him that I need him to show you around. Detectives, please, follow me to my office – as he entered, he was followed by both Goren and Eames, who remaining standing in front of his desk; he leant against the window, with a worried look on his face – Detectives, what's the problem?"

"we think there's something you need to know… - she started as Bobby took her left hand in his right one, letting Ross understands what was going on - We want you to know that we are ready to face the consequences of our actions."

"We don't care what happens, if you will split us up. We've never put our feeling ahead of our jobs before, when we where just partners, and we are not going to do start, now that we are together."

Daniel Ross had not known Bobby Goren for very long, but he knew how resolute he was. He'd never seen him so sure of something. He'd known Alexandra Eames the same length of time, and he was sure he had already figured her out. Well, he was Wrong. Many of the things he had always thought about her, such as being strong and stubborn, but seeing right now, how she looked at Goren, she seemed fragile and maybe desperate. He shook his head, smiling evilly, as he stood right in front of them, very close, leaving the couple a little astonished in disbelief.

"Detectives, did you really believe I was that blind? When people rumoured about you two, they did so for a reason, which was so obvious you two were the only people who couldn't see it. It's quite strange actually, the great Detective Goren always notices everything."

"And the reason you are telling us all this now, is?" Bobby asked as he let go of Alex's hand, crossing his arms impatiently.

"The reason, Goren, is that I can't afford to lose my best pair of detectives, and since I know how professional you are, and I'm not being sarcastic, at work you two really are, I think that unless anything begins to interfere with your work, I'll let you do what you want in private. Just keep it out of the office."

"Are you telling us that we can continue to work together?- Alex asked happier than she'd ever been, , feeling the urge to hug someone. Bobby was actually smiling himself for a change – Captain, we don't know what to say…"

Ross put a hand up to stop her. "Put it this way, I'm not doing this just for you. All that I'm doing, I'm doing in my best interest. You two work too well together, complementary to each other. I don't think that you would be able to have the same dynamic with other people. – he paused - To be honest, I don't know if someone else could have Eames' patience to deal with you, detective Goren. From what I've been told before I took this position, all your previous partners asked to be reassigned. As you see, I'm just doing it for my own good…"

"Thank you very much, Captain, I don't know what to say. We're very grateful to you for what you just did. We really don't know how we can repay you…"

"Goren, just tell me that you and Eames will continue to do your best, that's all I ask and I'll ever ask of you."

_(At the CSI headquarters) _

Meanwhile, Toni was walking at her boss' side – Mac Taylor – in the sterile corridors of the CSI building. they were both wearing their white overalls over their clothes, but, while Taylor, as always, was a lot more formal in his attire, Toni was just wearing a light yellow polo shirt and jeans with a pair of blue tennis shoes. They were walking, and talking about the files they had in their hands, comparing results. But Mac and Toni were old friends, too, who had a lot of catching up top do.

"You know, I don't think I remember anything so nice coming from you. I mean, I've only just come back and you already giving me a myriad of works." She told him, still reading, with a vein of sarcasm in her voice.

"Hey, wait a minute. I believe that this was what you wanted!- he replied, still smiling, enjoying the moment with one of his best friends, but then, he decided to be serious again, wanting to talk about something the both of them had at heart – Toni, how are things with Carol? I mean, I know you didn't tell me everything, just that she was following you, and that your partner and Ross almost arrested her. But then you never told me what happened next, and, well, I believed that…" he trailed off. The truth was he knew why she wasn't speaking to him about this story. The previous year, a boy was following Stella, not knowing who she truly was. In fact, the boy had seen Stella leave Mac's apartment a few times after she had to dinner by him, while getting over the "accident" with her ex. The boy had misunderstood the situation, and, without properly searching for her, he started to follow the cop, believing she was Mac's wife, Claire, his birth mother. When she was just a teenager, she had put him up for adoption. Both Mac and the boy had ended broken-hearted. the boy's history had brought soma bad memories for Mac, like the fact that he and Claire had never had the chance to have children. The boy would never be able to get to know his mother in person, since she had died in the attacks on 9/11, while working inside one of the towers.

"That day, I offered to buy her a cup of coffee, and we talked for a while. The next days we spoke again. To be honest, we still try to keep in regular contact. I even met her pa… - she hesitated for an instant, taking a deep breath – her parents. They are good people. They are happy to let me in Carol's life. Hopefully, I can… guide her."

"You like her a lot, don't you?"

"She is smart and intelligent, Mac, and so sweet… she understands that it wasn't my decision or her dad's, to give her up for adoption, but that our parents forced us to because we where only 16."

Mac smiled, a little sad. He had first met Toni when she was just 8, and her brother was his best friend. At the time she become pregnant, he was in New York. He knew the whole story, what had happened, and how broken-hearted she was when she had to give her up. This was one of the reasons she and her dad weren't no longer in touch. She knew he believed it was the right thing to do, but still she wasn't able to forgive him, and Carol's father family. They had forced them to break up, making him leave. It took the both of them a while to rebuild their lives, and Toni probably never had the chance to do it in the right way. To make matters worse, just when they found each other again…

Mac seems to sense what she was thinking about. "Did you already tell her about Tim?"

Again, Toni was sad and hesitating. "She wants to fly to Miami this spring, for the holidays, and said she would like me to go with her. she wants to meet JJ and visit Tim's gravestone. She is really upset that she didn't get the chance to know him in person, but she told me that because of the way I speak about him, she seems to have known him her entire life. she told me that he sounded like a good man, and that we were both good people at the time. it wasn't our fault, and that she is very happy with the life she was given and always had." ()

"Well – he said. he turned to face her – I'm happy to have you back. See you later" he turned to head towards his office while she carried in walking. A few seconds later, while she was passing one of the locker rooms, she felt someone grabbing her arm, forcing her inside the dark room. Immediately, someone locked it from the inner. She found herself alone, with God only knew who, in that room, and this person was forcing her body against the cold metal of one of the lockers. She could feel his hot breath against her bare neck, forcibly pinning her. For a moment, she was scared, but as he lent nearer, she smelt his cologne. She recognised it… and him.

"Mike…" she whispered, half stunned, when he started to kiss her neck, caressing her shoulder with the back of his left hand. The feminine body shivered at his touch as if a bolt of electricity was passing through it.

"I can't think of something sexier than you with just an overall and that Chantelle in blue…" she didn't need to see him to know that he was giving her one of his trademark grins.

"What… what are doing here?" she was almost breathless. She wanted to resist him, but she found out that she simply couldn't.

"You didn't tell me you had been reassigned… that we were no longer partners… that I finally could get what I wanted…" he confessed to her with the same tone, in between kisses.

"And what… what exactly do you want, Mike?" While she was speaking, he had already removed the white overall, and was doing the same with her polo shirt, without releasing her neck, continuing to touch her whole form. She wanted to resist him, but couldn't, so she decided it was finally time to respond to him. Lost in his scent, she started to kiss him in return, enjoying the taste of his kisses and touches, as she helped him to remove his shirt. She froze and shivered each time he caressed her with the back of his hands. It was something she decided she really liked a lot. It was the first time that she had ever felt that way with a man, or she had heard what he was telling her…

"You. I want you, all of you. I want to stay with you… be with you."

"Then, stop." She said seriously, putting her clothes back on in the dark.

"I thought it was what you wanted. I saw how you behave around me that night, Toni. You want me as much as I want you, and you know it."

"Sure that I want it Mike, but… no, no, no, wait, no, I don't want It." she put her hands on her face, covering it, slightly frustrated by the situation.

"You know what, I'm confused. Very confused." He was still barechested, and was looking for his shirt in the dark, heading towards the door, getting ready to leave.

"Mike, I don't want to just have sex with you… I want… - she paused, a little embarrassed – I want to be with you, to try to have a proper relationship with you. I want… I want… want to stay with this amazing man, Mike Logan who can make me laugh when I want to cry, always at my side, ready to listen to me… and so nice to wait until I'm ready to open myself up with him." He smiled, and come back to stand next to her.

"Toni, be honest, do you want a relationship with me because you really like me or because you think that, being 14 years older than you, we can't have really a future together, and you want something more than an adventure but less than a serious relationship?"

"Mike, I really like you, and I want to have a relationship with you… I don't want to lose you just because you are older than me. I know it can be a problem, 14 years is a long time, and I admit this is one of the reasons I was so reluctant about telling you how I felt. I know it was the same for you, but, over all, I didn't want to put your career in danger. I know that you worked for a long time to rebuild it, and I didn't want to, I still don't, ruin all your work."

"Toni, first I screwed up my career a long time ago, you can't do any more damage. Second, I don't want to lose you because that bastard, your ex. Third, the hell with consequences. Forth, people changes, I'm sure they'll understand that you weren't and aren't a dirty cop." Their foreheads touched, both of them smiling, and he immediately put a quick and gentle kiss on her forehead.

"No woman can resist you, Mike Logan, believe me, it's the word of a profiler."

"So you are serious about us? Are you sure you really want to mess up your life to be with me?"

"And you, Mike, are you sure? Do you really want to mess up your life to be with me and the craziness of my whole family? Even the presence of an already grown-up daughter?" they smiled, and after another quick kiss, she laid her head on his chest, in peace.

"I can't promise anything, just that I'll try to work at this thing. I really want to see how things will work out. I'm deadly curios. So I was thinking that, maybe, this time, I could go out with the other Madison sister, and if I'm not clear enough – he said joking – it's you who I want to go out with. So, what do you think?"

"I think that Bobby and Alex are always right…."

END

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Notes: First of all, i want to thabnk you all for the fact teht you have enought courage to keep reading this. I'm really happy that i found so much support from you, it means a lot for me, and it's with a tear in my heart that I finally write the word "END" to all of this, remembering how I originally wrote this, and how much it changed along the road. Then, the explanations...

() Stakanow was a miner during the Cold War Years; a greater worker, he entered in the world giuness record for the amount of owrk done without stopping. The expression "being a stakanowist" or "be like stakanow" and their variants mean that the someone you are spaeking about it's a great worker who puts work in front of everything; i'm explaining this because, altough it's largely used in my native language and, for what i Know, in French too, my beta had some porblems while reading it, so, not knowing if you know it or not, and how to change it, I decided to maintein the exoression, and explain you what it means.

() I don't know, to be honest, i don't think you do, if you know what a Carabiniere o RIS are. the Carabinieri are very alike the Police, but they are military; the RIS (3 unit on the italian territory) are, for them, theequivalent of the CSI unit of the police; RIS is, too, a popular show (4 seasons for now), in which there's the Captain Venturi... well, it seems that I did some sort of international cross-over, right?

() in my idea, the Tim i told about here was ment to be Tim Speedle, member of the CSI:MIAMI cast fro two season, and killed in season 3. i really liked him a lot, and I thought it was nice to put him here...

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Altough the story is over, I'm still waiting to get to knoww aht you think of my story... thank you a lot and, I hope, see you soon!


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